![](\"https:\/\/theshaderoom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/IMG_2114-scaled.jpg?w=1024\")
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\nErica Banks<\/strong> is that gworl. And, while her name and face have constantly been taking over the headlines, there\u2019s a side to her that many people don\u2019t know, but probably could relate to.<\/p>\n Banks, a native of Dallas, Texas, signed to 1501 Certified Entertainment in the spring of 2019 after playing a snippet of her viral hit \u201cBuss It\u201d for the label\u2019s CEO, Carl Crawford, on Instagram Live. A few months later, the song was on almost everyone\u2019s TikTok and Instagram feeds catching the attention of celebrities, like Chloe Bailey, Monica<\/a>, Tracee Ellis Ross<\/a>, Gabrielle Union<\/a>, and many more!<\/p>\n However, \u201cBuss It\u201d wouldn\u2019t be the last time this Flow Queen went viral. It seems like every other day she is either defending herself for something she has said or for someone she has dated.<\/p>\n A lot of folks are wondering things that can only be answered and explained by Miss Banks herself, which is why she sat down exclusively with The Director of Social Content for The Shade Room Teens, <\/em>Taylor Bickham,<\/strong> at SXSW to clear the air and give her perspective of the situations that have transpired over the past year or so, like her misunderstanding with Nicki Minaj<\/a>, her comparison to Megan Thee Stallion, even the incident when a video from her \u201cClose Friends\u201d was leaked<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: You had a very busy year last year. There was a lot that went on. I want to first talk about how this past year has affected your mental health.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Last year was crazy for me. Really the whole three years has been crazy for me especially when you are in the media all the time. When you are in the media all the time, it\u2019s kind of like\u2026 you have to be a certain kind of person to a certain extent. So, once my mind was wrapped around that it affected my mental health a lot because for a minute I was like \u2018wow, I really can\u2019t be myself\u2019 with this particular career, and I am just not used to not being me. So, there\u2019s been a lot of times where.. I wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019ve had an identity crisis but I\u2019ve went through times where I\u2019m like, damn, am I her or am I her? It takes a toll on you. I am still human. I cry all the time about a lot of different things. But, it has made me who I am. And, I am still standing three years later so.. You know.. Shoutout to the man upstairs.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Growing up in the limelight, it seems like you still have to answer for mistakes you made as a kid. How does that make you feel? How do you deal with it?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Um\u2026 it makes me feel like the world is against me. That\u2019s how it feels. Of course, as a celebrity\u2026 everything I do is magnified. So, I have to be very mindful and careful of how I say things, and it can be a little irritating sometimes because I don\u2019t ever want to come off, especially to my fans, as this fake person, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m so real and so vocal. But, I have learned, after going through things to say things a certain way if you\u2019re going to say it. Not so much filter it.. But, don\u2019t be so\u2026 you [Erica] with it. Because sometimes being too much of you can rub people the wrong way, and you don\u2019t always want to do that. So, I\u2019ve learned a lot. The industry has definitely taught me how to maneuver, also in a political way. Where I am now, I feel like I am in a very great place. Even with the mistakes I\u2019ve made, I don\u2019t regret anything. I feel like everything is a learning experience, and even my experience, can teach someone else wanting to do music. At the end of the day, you just have to take it with a grain of salt. It\u2019s still life. We\u2019re all still human and you just keep on moving.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: I feel like it\u2019s also not just you being you, but also, people not understanding where you are from. So, there may be things that are understood in Dallas that may not be understood in New York.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Right! It\u2019s a lot of times that when I say certain things that people from Down South understood it, but everyone else was kind of like\u2026 \u201cwhy she say that!?\u201d You know? But, like you said, it just depends on who is receiving it. Because, everyone is going to receive it differently.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: With all the things that happened and you prioritizing your mental health, what would you suggest to other people that are wanting to be in the spotlight?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> As far as mental health goes, I would say to first know and understand what you are getting into. Look into it\u2026 ask about it\u2026 get with people who are in the industry so they can maybe give you some kind of insight before going into it. The second thing would be to\u2026 I can\u2019t tell people to remain spiritual.. Everyone isn\u2019t into that but for me, remaining spiritual and always talking to my God has worked for me. So, whatever religion you have I would say tap into that. That can give you a warm comfortable space to live in and overall surround yourself with people who want to see you win. You know.. That matters. I feel like\u2026 if you surround yourself with people who don\u2019t want to see you win\u2026 you\u2019re never going to win because you are your environment.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: I like that you said that because I want to segue into the incident that happened where someone exposed something that was in your close friends. Did you have to reevaluate your circle? What were the things you had to do when that incident happened outside of the things that happened in the media?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Yeah absolutely I had to reevaluate my circle which isn\u2019t very big anyway. But, I had to narrow it down even smaller because whoever I consider these people to be, they consider themselves something else, clearly. Which is not a friend. So, I had to cut some people off. You know.. It was no hard feelings. To this day I still don\u2019t know.. I would love to know.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: I was about to ask, did you know who?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know\u2026 I have like three contenders but I can\u2019t pin it on nobody. You know? And, I am not the person to be like, you did it! You know what I\u2019m saying? So, whatever f\u2014 it. If I find out later, I will find out later, but I just had to cut my circle down and now we are down to a circle that\u2019s not very big.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: With this incident that happened, I know you talk about it a lot in the media of it being a misunderstanding of what you were saying and it being a violation of privacy, so what did you mean exactly?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Yeah, so a lot of people, especially if you don\u2019t know me, were misunderstood.. It was taken out of context\u2026 and me, like I said in my last interview, I am very non filtered. When I speak it comes off however the hell I want it to especially if I know you and I know you know me so you know how i mean it. But as far as the type of women I was referring to was actually\u2026 my type, literally. Because some people know, some people don\u2019t know.. I like men and women. So, when I go to the club, I like eye candy so I am going to go off of what I think is cool for me when I get home and I want to \u2026. But, as I said in my last interview, everything isn\u2019t always about the look of something. But, me coming into the industry.. I started to believe that.. Like okay\u2026 this sh\u2014 DO matter. It do matter what you look like. It do matter what you have on, and I took on that thought process just from being in the industry and how it is and I kind of took it upon myself and thinking maybe this is how I am supposed to do it, so this is the type I want. So, I started to follow what was \u201cindustry\u201d, which isn\u2019t even me but you know, I felt like I fell into that just by being consumed with what I am around. But now, I just don\u2019t even press it. If you want to come out with Erica Banks, cool. Because it was misconstrued and I don\u2019t want people to feel like I am that type of girl because i\u2019m really not. So now, it don\u2019t even matter. Come if you come. If I think you fine, we can get it on later. It\u2019s just not that deep.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Well with that being said, what is your type?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I like.. Real juicy. I like.. Bouncy. It don\u2019t have to be a BBL. Sh\u2014 I ain\u2019t always had a BBL, so you know.. Some of the girls I\u2019ve been with ain\u2019t had no BBL. Let\u2019s cut the BBL sh\u2014 out. I feel like once I got a BBL. I became the BBL girl, and it\u2019s never that. Skin complexion does not matter. We like all ethnicities. We like Latinos.. We like brownskin\u2026 I\u2019ve never tried a white girl though\u2026<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: What about personality wise? What do you cling to?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Personality wise.. I cling to bubbly. I like social. I don\u2019t like someone who is too quiet. I don\u2019t like nobody who don\u2019t like to drink. If you don\u2019t do what I like to do, I don\u2019t want to kick it. Love a pretty smile.. Don\u2019t have to be veneers. I have to say a lot this because they act like I am so specific with what I like in my life. As long as she funny, like to have a good time, she my type of girl.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Okay, so what about from a guy\u2019s perspective?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks: Guys\u2026 I like someone who is hard working. I like someone who is understanding. Secure\u2026 Let me say that again\u2026 SECURE. As far as looks, I don\u2019t even really know what my type is with dudes because I may get a dude that looks like this.. And next week I get a guy that looks like that. Even growing up my mom used to tell me.. I don\u2019t even know what you like forreal because you always just bringing anybody in here. So, I don\u2019t really have a physical requirements for a dude. If I like him, I like him.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: If you could shoot your shot at one celebrity (male or female) who would it be?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> You know what.. if it was a woman\u2026 I love me some Erica Mena. Erica Mena is something to do.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: I feel like it would be frustrating to date someone with the same name as me.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I.. think that kind of would. I never done that \u2014 that would be a little weird! I would probably find another name to call her\u2026 a cute little nickname or something. I met her a couple of weeks ago, and her energy was just so vibrant.. bubbly\u2026. what I like! I was like you know\u2026 I could see myself with her..<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: How does your family deal with the media storm when they see you in the headlines or going viral?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> They call me all the time. I be telling them \u201cmom and dad you don\u2019t have to call me it\u2019s cool today. I know y\u2019all see me on the blogs, but it\u2019s cool.\u201d But, when it first started happening they would call me and be like \u201cE, are you okay? We know this is a lot. We know this isn\u2019t you. Just understand this is going to happen forever, just block it out.\u201d You know they are still my parents so they want to make sure that I\u2019m comfortable or that I\u2019m good. But at this point, we all kind of understand that this is what my life is now, so they don\u2019t really panic anymore. They just call to check on me to make sure that I\u2019m good when stuff does happen.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: So you mentioned earlier that if you wanted to be in this job, in this industry, that\u2019s what this looks like, but if you had to pick another job, what other career would you have chosen?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I would have been an entrepreneur. I would have opened a nail shop, which I still want to do. I would have opened a beauty supply. I would have probably sold hair. I would do clothes, for sure. I would get into my cooking thing\u2026 probably sell plates.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: You can cook??<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> What?!<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: What\u2019s your best dish?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Baked Chicken!<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Haha, okay you talk about getting a lot of attention and backlash for having a BBL, and that is very common in the industry, but is very categorized, so tell me what made you make the decision to get a BBL?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Oh girl when I was in high school, I knew I was going to do it.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Really??<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> What? Yes! I knew I was going to do. And, I knew I was going to do it because I knew what I wanted to look like. But, I also knew that I didn\u2019t want to go to the gym and do it. Because I went to the gym when I signed with 1501. They had me in the gym for a good six months, and after those six months I was like, I am tired of sweating out my frontal every day. I am tired of spending money on a wig every two days because I am sweating at the gym. I am starting to look good but I am tired of this sh\u2014. They had me picking up tires, and running relays. I\u2019m like this ain\u2019t my cup of tea. I\u2019d rather just get it done. So, I got me some money and I went and got it done<\/a>. I know a lot of people would think I got it done because of what I do. But, i didn\u2019t know at 16 I would be rapping. But, I knew at 16, I wanted a BBL.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Did you talk to your parents about it when you were 16?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Oh yeah! My mama was like \u201cyou don\u2019t need to do that\u201d. She used to show me pictures of botched butts and tell me this is what is going to happen to me. She still do that.. I\u2019m like girl\u2026<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Were you worried about how it may turn out?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Um.. I was a little freaked out when she first started showing me because they had a TV show about that. She used to make me watch that too. But, I used to be scared with what I saw on TV, but i would always think\u2026\u201dI don\u2019t think God gone let that happen to me\u201d and I mean you know\u2026 I also feel like whatever happens.. supposed to happen. God forbid anything bad happen to me but I would tell her I feel what you saying but I am just gone try it just to see.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: In terms of young girls, how can they still love their natural bodies in a world where we can make those kinds of adjustments? What would be your suggestion to them to be able to still love their bodies, at this time?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I would say to young girls. Wait until you get older to see what you look like. You might like your body by 23. And, if you don\u2019t, or you want to enhance it, by all means do so. It\u2019s your body. Whatever you want to do with it.. Whether you want to keep it natural\u2026 get a BBL\u2026 or whatever. But, as far as loving yourself.. I would say it starts there.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: I feel like a lot of people feel like, \u201cI will love myself more if this happens\u201d, but if you don\u2019t love yourself before you get a BBL, you probably won\u2019t after.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks<\/strong>: Exactly.. It starts within. I was happy inside before I got a BBL, so now it probably looks like I\u2019m cocky as hell. But, I was already happy so it just started on the inside.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Now, let\u2019s get into this Nicki Minaj situation because you are a Barb, right?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Yes I am.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: And, you are a proud Barb regardless of everything that\u2019s happened, so what was the misunderstanding?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Girl\u2026. You know I\u2019ve said this too, a lot of times people are misunderstood when they don\u2019t know each other. Or, when they\u2019ve never spoken to each other, so like, if I never met you and you made a statement about me or whatever and I don\u2019t know you. I could probably take it the wrong way because I don\u2019t know you. I don\u2019t know how you meant it. But with my situation, long story short\u2026 I agreed with a statement that a person said and when I agreed with them\u2026. I was just being a super fan of Nicki Minaj. And, I\u2019m just like\u2026 I would love to work with Nicki Minaj<\/a>. That\u2019s really all it was. I think it was misunderstood on her end just because we don\u2019t know each other. So it probably came off.. However it did to her, but regardless of that I\u2019m still a Barb. I still know every word. I\u2019m still listening to \u201cRed Ruby Da Sleeze\u201d. I don\u2019t care what the internet say. They love to say \u201coh she\u2019s just doing that for the feature\u201d or \u201coh she\u2019s still trying to do this. That\u2019s dead.\u201d And, I\u2019m like if it\u2019s dead, let it be dead, but I\u2019m still a fan.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: So, regardless if you got a feature with her or not, you\u2019d still be a fan?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks<\/strong>: I would still be a die-hard Nicki Minaj fan. But, she better call me lol.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Are you still blocked<\/a>?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks<\/strong>: Girl, yeah.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Have you reached out since?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I reached out that same day from my cooking page<\/a>, but I haven\u2019t heard from her since then, so no.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: So, if you could say something to Nicki right now, what would it be?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Um\u2026 I don\u2019t know\u2026 if I had to come off the top. I would be like.. \u201cNow girl\u2026 you know\u201d. You know? I would come at her like a real person. It wouldn\u2019t even be scripted. I would just be like, \u201cGirl, you know what I meant. Why you do that?\u201d You know\u2026 I would kind of do it on a joking tip because that\u2019s just my personality. I feel like she would understand me if we spoke like how me and you are speaking versus Instagram.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Outside of the things that\u2019s happened with Nicki, another rap girl that comes up with your name a lot is Megan The Stallion. How do you feel about the comparison? Do y\u2019all have a relationship? Is this \u201cbeef\u201d just something the internet made up?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Honestly how I feel about it is that I\u2019m honored to be compared to someone of such a high caliber. Because let\u2019s be real.. She\u2019s amazing. Her music is amazing. She\u2019s doing her thing. Salute to her. But, when it comes to the comparisons, it\u2019s just something the people are going to do. You know.. And, with the internet, you have to let the internet do what it\u2019s gone do,<\/a> and that\u2019s be messy. That\u2019s turn people against each other. We don\u2019t have a problem. We\u2019ve never met in person, which is crazy to think when you look at the internet and what they\u2019ve said. I think I really allowed the internet to consume me with that \u2014 with the whole thought of being against her. I started to feel like.. \u201cDamn, do we really have a problem?\u201d and one day I realized\u2026 we really don\u2019t. We actually had a conversation back in 2020. Very brief. Just heartfelt. Just sharing heart to heart girl sh\u2014. But, other than that. Nah, we haven\u2019t spoken. It\u2019s just an internet thing.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Do you feel like the internet and industry does that a lot with women? Putting them against each other?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s because they know women are catty, and very egotistical. And, they know the men don\u2019t really care about all of that. Men aren\u2019t going to go back and forth on the internet all day about who better. They don\u2019t care about that. They\u2019re men. That\u2019s not something they even feed into. If anything they gone dap each other up, and go kick it at the studio. But girls, when somebody say they are better than somebody else, it\u2019s like World War III. I think the internet does this with the women because they know the women are going to go for it.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: It\u2019s the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop. I want to segue a little bit and talk about your journey into Hip Hop. What made you want to hone into that?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Honestly.. it was Nicki Minaj! I was in the 5th grade, and I think it was the Drake \u201cBest I Ever Had (Remix)\u201d that she was on, and I was like\u2026 who is this girl singing on here?! I like it! And, then it turned out to be Nicki Minaj. You know\u2026 I\u2019m in like 5th grade. I\u2019m like.. 11 years old, and I\u2019m seeing this Barbie girl in pink rap and now I want to do it. I\u2019ll never forget I got me a composition book two days after hearing that song, and I wanted to do what she was doing. I just started writing raps. Like, my mom still got the composition books. So yeah\u2026 she was my biggest inspiration. Growing up, I listened to her [Nicki], Missy Elliot, Lil Wayne, Drake\u2026 the whole Young Money era I was locked in. Everybody had their own style. Even today, they still do. They were a big inspiration on why I went into rap.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: With it being Women\u2019s History Month, who is your Mount Rushmore of Female Rappers?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks<\/strong>: It would be Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot. Hmmm\u2026 I\u2019mma have to go with Eve. Then, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: What Hip Hop Album Changed Your Life?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> What Hip Hop album changed my life\u2026 Pink Friday. Pink Friday, for sure. \u201cSave Me\u201d and \u201cRight Thru Me\u201d\u2026. did a lot for me. Even the mixtapes, like.. Chile\u2026 I\u2019m a Barb. Come on.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: I want to talk to you about \u201cBuss It\u201d going viral.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I love talking about it. That\u2019s like my child.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Everyone hopped on it!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> What\u2019s crazy is.. I didn\u2019t even like \u201cBuss It\u201d. I wasn\u2019t going to put it out. I had my whole tracklist and I trashed it because it wasn\u2019t good enough. And, when I signed with 1501, Carl and D-Boy, my manager\u2026 they were like, \u201cNah, this is hard. We need to put this out. This is good.\u201d And, I\u2019m like \u201cAhhh\u2026 Whatever\u201d I personally feel like \u201cToot That\u201d is a better song. Or, at the time I did. So, we put it out and it went viral in under six months, and it was crazy. It was overwhelming<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: So, who hopped on the challenge that you were excited about?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> Girl.. Tracee Ellis Ross. I was like what the f\u2014. Like, Gabrielle Union\u2026 what the f\u2014-. Monica\u2026 what the f\u2014-. Everybody was just tuned in. But, I think at that point is when I started to feel like\u2026 okay this is working. Maybe I am supposed to be doing this. Damn, I didn\u2019t even like this song and it\u2019s doing this. It gave me confidence as an artist, too, because I didn\u2019t like the song. So, now, even sh\u2014 that I don\u2019t like, I still put it out.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: It\u2019s crazy that you didn\u2019t like the song.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> I hated it. I still hate it, lol.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Really, why??<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> It\u2019s just I felt like I could do a lot better. But, like in today\u2019s world, it seems like the simpler music is what people want. If I got on the \u201cBuss It\u201d beat today. It would be so much harder.<\/p>\n Taylor Bickham: Do it. You coming out with a \u201cBuss It\u201d Remix?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Erica Banks:<\/strong> That would be hard, huh? You might have said something. You might have just did something right there.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Erica Banks Reflects On How This Past Year Affected Her Mental Health<\/h3>\n
Erica Banks Says She Would Shoot Her Shot With Erica Mena<\/h3>\n
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Erica Banks Says That She Would Have Been An Entrepreneur If She Didn\u2019t Become A Rapper<\/h3>\n
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Erica Banks Says She Wanted A BBL At 16 Before Becoming A Rapper<\/h3>\n
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Erica Banks Says She Will Still Be A Die-Hard \u201cBarb\u201d Whether She Gets A Feature From Nicki Minaj, Or Not<\/h3>\n
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Erica Banks Gives Megan The Stallion Her Flowers & Deads Any Beef Rumors<\/h3>\n
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Erica Banks Reflects On Her Journey To Hip Hop & How Nicki Minaj Inspired Her In 5th Grade<\/h3>\n
Erica Banks Talks About \u201cBuss It\u201d Going Viral & How She Hated The Song<\/h3>\n
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