Lay Bankz’s XXL Freshman Freestyle 2024

Lay Bankz is an emerging example of what hip-hop looks like in 2024. This confident young woman not only raps but also sings and dances, embodying the essence of a multifaceted superstar. With a touch of spice and a quick wit, she’s not one to be underestimated. Lay illuminates every room she enters with her radiant smile. Despite the mixed opinions about TikTok promoting certain artists, Lay Bankz from Philadelphia has effectively used the platform to showcase her vibrant personality.

Her songs like “Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick),” “Na Na Na,” and “Tell Ur Girlfriend” are filled with energy and lively lyrics that match her spirit. In her 2024 XXL Freshman freestyle, however, she reveals a more serious side.

“Lately, it’s been a lot on my mind,” Lay expresses in her freestyle video. “Fighting battles internal inside/There be some days I can’t talk to my mom/’Cause I’m dealing with so many feelings and really I’m feeling like I should unwind/And just speak on the thoughts that I bury, like if I don’t make it at least I was trying.” She pours out her struggles candidly, touching on themes of perseverance and hardship.

Lay Bankz is signed to Artist Partner Group and uses her platform to reveal and cope with her struggles. “I can’t give in, I can’t give out/And when the pressure caving in, I make some diamonds out of dirt/Ghetto angels protecting me from sin, but I buried some bodies and it hurt/Have you ever been f**ked up, that’s the worst/All the sh*t I’m accomplishin’ my first/I was doin’ the most to get close to my dreams and abandonin’ hope ’cause it don’t work.”

She showcases her versatility by varying her flow: “Bad grades now they on to me, city hated me now they all proud of me/And the music kept a smile on me/But the industry fake, they lied to me.”

Taking inspiration from some of her idols, she mentions Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott. “Lauryn Hill, if we’re talking about hip-hop music,” she shares, admiring the legendary rapper. “Lauryn Hill is just amazing. Like, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I’ve been listening to it for, like, two months straight now, back-to-back. Missy Elliott is just dope all across the board. Her music is very artsy, and I feel like I have an artsy style of music. And, yeah, just the crazy ad-libs and the crazy sounds when they come on, it’s just very captivating.”

Singers have also influenced her craft. “Beyoncé ’cause she’s just an amazing performer,” Lay says. “She’s an amazing artist. Just the development of her career. I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since the beginning of my life. Aaliyah. I think her style and just how sweet of a girl she was, just very inspirational.”

Still, Lay Bankz strives to carve out her own unique path. “It’s time for me to be in people’s faces and show them who I am along with the music,” she asserts. “I think that everybody has their own sense of individuality, but mine stands out in my own way because of what I do. I dance, I sing, I rap, I write. And I’m just original with doing it. I freestyle in the booth, I produce.”

Watch Lay Bankz bring her compelling authenticity to light in her 2024 XXL Freshman freestyle.

Source: XXL Magazine