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Written by: Desjah A

When Erica Banks tells you “ain’t shit stopped”, believe her. The Texas native isn’t just back—she never left. It’s been five years since her hit single ‘Buss It’ had the internet on lock, turning TikTok timelines into a runway of busted-down transformations and viral energy. But Erica’s story was never about just one moment. She’s Southern-made, sharp-tongued, and soaked in star power—and now, in 2025, she’s doubling down on her presence with a brand new project that proves her foot is still on the gas.

‘Ain’t Sh*t Stopped’ isn’t just an album title—it’s a declaration. A reminder that whether she’s penning her own bars, shutting down clubs, or shaking up the timeline, Erica Banks is still that girl—unbothered, unapologetic, and rooted in that Texas soil.

Born and raised in DeSoto, a city in the Lone Star State with just over 56,000 people, she joins a lineage of Texas music legends like Beyoncé, Erykah Badu, and Travis Scott, all of whom she deeply respects. “I think it starts with the person, their personality, their creativity,” she explains. “The three people you named are some of the most talented people in the world, I believe. Especially Travis Scott—shout out to him for doing ‘Buss It’ back then.”

However, unlike some Southern artists who might tone down their regional flavor to go pop, Erica has no interest in shedding her Southern roots to appeal to a wider audience. “I just like staying true to myself,” she says. “Doesn’t mean I’m opposed to making pop or country or whatever, but I always like to remain who I am so that when I do go in other directions, it’s still me.”

That sense of self has carried her from uploading her first single ‘Talk My Sh*t’ on SoundCloud seven years ago, to now being a staple voice in modern rap. “Oh my God, I didn’t know it’s been almost 10 years. Girl, how old am I?” she laughs. “Now looking back and seeing where I am now, it just inspires me… I do a lot of self-inspiration just looking at my past self.”

And, if there’s one thing Erica is serious about, it’s her pen. On ‘Ain’t Shit Stopped,’ she’s either the sole writer or a co-writer on every track—a rarity in today’s industry. “Growing up, that was popular. That was a thing—writing your own music,” she says. “Me, personally, I actually prefer to write my own music. I’m not opposed to writers… but for the most part, I like to write it myself because I feel like when I’m writing it, I just give it a different feel because it’s what I came up with, what I thought, what I felt.”

That rawness and authenticity show up most clearly in her lyrics, like on fan-favorite ‘Kandi Kane,’ where she raps: “I been the hardest, that just what it is / Why would I hate on the next b*tch?” That’s not just a bar—it’s a mindset. So, how does she handle hate after all these years in the public eye? “I don’t. They do,” she says simply. “It takes too much energy to try to respond or to sit and figure out… I learned early on in 2020 that I can’t fight the whole internet. There are too many of y’all.”

Other standouts from the project include “Fine Sh*t,” a track destined to become a pre-game anthem for girls everywhere. But what sets it apart is that it’s Erica hyping herself up. The song flips the script, putting the crown where it belongs—on your own head. Instead of giving the title to someone else, it’s all about you being fine sh*t. When asked what it would take for someone else to earn that title from her? “As long as I find them attractive, that’s fine sh*t to me, chile. If you have seen my dating history, it’s very all over the place… Girl, it just depends on what I ate that day—that’s gonna tell me how I’m feeling.”

Erica’s unfiltered confidence is what makes her magnetic—on and off the mic. When she announced her strip club tour this past summer, the internet had its opinions, but as always, she had her reasons. “I made the song ‘Strip Club’ a few months before I came up with the idea,” she says. “I went to DGS [a popular strip club in Dallas]… I was just like, I think it would be fire if I came in here for a night to dance, to ‘Strip Club’ in the strip club and get paid. There might be people who aren’t fond of it, but this is not their life.” And with a smirk, she adds, “I didn’t really care what people thought. I cared about how much money I was gonna make.”

Visually, ‘Ain’t Shit Stopped’ tells a story too. The cover art feels quiet and reflective—Erica sits eating a cup of ramen, the energy humble yet defiant. It’s a stark contrast to much of the flashiness we see in rap today. “It gave calm, it gave at home, it gave modest, it gave I’m just in my room writing my raps,” she explains. “With the title ‘Ain’t Shit Stopped’… it represents me still being here.”
And yes, she really does still eat noodles. “Chicken flavor, chili shrimp, and spicy chicken—those are my three,” she shares. “They don’t put enough [seasoning] in there, so I put a little lime on top with a little hot sauce.”

Erica Banks has always had “that girl” energy, but she knows it takes more than just a good selfie to wear the crown. “Being that girl to me would start with your energy. A positive girl, a girl who’s on top of her finances. Not a girl’s girl, okay? I don’t like to get that confused,” she clarifies. “I rock with who rocks with me.”

As for what’s next? Erica isn’t just in album mode—she’s about to give us a deeper look into her life on the upcoming season of ‘Love & Hip Hop.’ “This season, it’s a lot more personal. We’re getting into my real life versus just my music,” she reveals. “The past two seasons, it’s just been more about me moving around and going independent as an artist. But this season is more about my family, who I’m dating, and of course, my project. It’s all things new, Erica Banks.”