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Lay Bankz, the Philly native behind TikTok’s viral #Ick trend, is on XXL’s 2024 Freshman List

The hip-hop magazine’s list honors emerging pop and rap artists.

Southwest Philly's Lay Bankz is a TikTok star whose tracks have seen more than 100 million hits on Spotify. She is best known for her melodic rap hits, but Bankz emphasizes that she can do it all: sing, rap, pop, R&B.
Southwest Philly's Lay Bankz is a TikTok star whose tracks have seen more than 100 million hits on Spotify. She is best known for her melodic rap hits, but Bankz emphasizes that she can do it all: sing, rap, pop, R&B.Read morePablo Flores Perez

Are you ready for the “New Philly Wave”? Philadelphia artist Lay Bankz was recently announced as a member of the 2024 XXL Freshman Cover lineup. XXL, the hip-hop magazine, typically debuts the list in early summer and it recognizes artists who are shifting cultural norms in pop, R&B, and rap. With her inclusion, Bankz, 20, joins the ranks of J. Cole, Future, and Kendrick Lamar, among others, who’ve received the honor.

Bankz is the seventh Philadelphian to join the XXL List, and the second woman from Philly, after Tierra Whack, who was named in 2019. Philly musicians Meek Mill (2011), Lil Uzi Vert (2016), PnB Rock (2017), 2Rare (2023), and Fridayy (2023) are also alums of the list.

“I love where I’m from. I wouldn’t want to be from nowhere else,” Bankz, the Southwest Philly native, said in April. She went viral on TikTok with her rap called “Ick” and contributed to the popularity of the “Blick,” a dance with roots in Philly club, which became a national phenomenon in early 2023.

“Blicking is honestly just fun. It’s just supposed to be like you’re releasing your wiggle,” Bankz said. “I’ve been blicking my entire life, because I grew up in Philly culture with tanging and toprocking.”

“Ick” currently sits at 87 million plays; her most popular song is “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” with over 181 million plays on Spotify.

Bankz’s music stands out for the way she blends elements of R&B with Jersey club, providing a melodic yet futuristic sound. In addition to the melodies, she represents Philadelphia’s rap culture through her flows and word play.

The String Theory Performing Arts alum cites Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and Michael Jackson as influences. She counts Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock, who was fatally shot in 2022, as one of her favorite artists.

This year, she said in April, Bankz plans to release back-to-back singles and then an album, music “that is truly Lay Bankz to the bone. This new era of music is really just showing my supporters the real me.”