Ms Banks (born 1994) is a UK hip-hop artist, native to South London with a Ugandan mother and Nigerian father. Banks penned her first lyrics at the age of 11. She’s known for going hard on the microphone.

Titled by i-D as one of the most important female artists, Ms Banks began her career with the release of her 2014 mixtape Once Upon A Grind, featuring artists like Paigey Cakey and Karmah Cruz.

2016 saw her lift the lid on her debut EP, entitled New Chapter EP. Featuring complex wordplay and flows, the EP showed new layers of her personality, as well as her deliberate non-conformance to female gender stereotypes.

Her appearance on “Yu Zimme All Star Remix” caught the attention of no other than Nicki Minaj:

When speaking to NME about the shout-out from Nicki, Ms Banks said:

I’ve been listening to her since I was 14—a good nine years now—and she’s still very much relevant now, she’s had so many Billboard entries and done so much iconic stuff.

She also toured with Cardi B, and said in the interview:

She’s not that much older than me so to see what she’s achieved is amazing. I feel like I always saw it in her before she had the number one; I knew she was a star, so I’m very grateful to experience it and meet her.

Her debut album, The Coldest Winter Ever, threw her into the spotlight, with tracks like “R.I.P” and “Day Ones” opening eyes across the UK, and even in America. With the 2019 follow-up, Pt. 2, Banks continued her onslaught into the industry. The sequel helped her “demonstrate her versatility as well as her longevity,” according to Complex UK.