Lay Bankz

Biography

Layia Watkins (born June 11, 2004), known professionally as Lay Bankz, is an American singer and rapper. After signing a record contract with Artist Partner Group (APG) in 2022, she released the singles "Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick)", "Na Na Na" and "Ick" the following year. Her 2024 single, "Tell Ur Girlfriend" became popular on TikTok and marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

Life and career

Layia Watkins was born on June 11, 2004, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Southwest Philadelphia. Her stage name is derived from her first name, Layia, shortened to Lay, Along with an acronym: "Billionaires Attract Natural Kinetix Zen". She is of Eritrean descent from her mother's side and African American from her father's. She started writing raps at age 10 and released her first song, "Passion", in October 2019 when she was 15 years old. She signed to Artist Partner Group in 2022 and released her debut single with the label, "Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick)", later that year. She was featured on the "dance mix" of Ciara's song "Da Girls", released in May 2023. She also appeared on NLE Choppa's song "It's Getting Hot" in July 2023.
In August 2023, Bankz released the single "Na Na Na". Both "Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick)" and "Na Na Na" went viral on TikTok. Her debut extended play, Now You See Me, was also released in August 2023. Her jersey club single "Ick" was released in September 2023 and also became popular on TikTok and on streaming services. She followed that success with the R&B, hip-hop and synth-pop infused single "Tell Ur Girlfriend" in February 2024, which became her first song to chart in the US and multiple other countries aided by a viral dance trend. It followed her debut studio album, After 7, which was released in May 2024. Lay Bankz posted a video to her YouTube channel on December 17, 2025, titled "RIP Lay Bankz" where she announces an end to her music career.

Musical style

Bankz has described her music as "every kind of genre you could ever think of". Kenyatta Victoria of Essence wrote that she "merges club and R&B music". Billboard's Kyle Denis described it as Jersey club. Pitchfork's H.D. Angel identified her music as East Coast club and pop rap, writing that her voice had an "elegant, almost synthetic quality" to it and that her instrumentals were "busy".