From Tracks With G-Eazy to Tours With Mickey Factz, Alfred Banks Defines the Indie Grind
It’s been a long (and sometimes frustrating) road for Alfred Banks over the last few years, but his upcoming tour with Mickey Factz could finally give him the buzz he’s been waiting on.
Banks, a New Orleans-based rapper known for his extensive sneaker collection and flamboyant style, has accomplished a lot in his career. Both his Twitter and Instagram accounts are verified, he released a single with G-Eazy, and his music has been featured in a Netflix Original film (Burning Sands) and a national commercial for Volkswagon.
We all know someone who has their music on Soundcloud; they would likely give anything to have Banks’ list of accomplishments. Yet, as Banks told me in a recent interview, “My buzz hasn’t quite caught up to my resume.”
So what is one to do when “buzz” isn’t something that you can pick up on Amazon or at Target? Grind your ass off. And that’s precisely what Banks is doing.
“I’m just a normal person. I don’t really believe in the whole ‘rapper bravado’ thing,” he says. “I’m a full-time rapper. It’s how I make my living.”
Banks splits his days between the studio, playing live venues, and curating his social media presence. Online music sales, show money, and consultations are the means of income for the “Homecoming” rapper. But before all the publishing checks and the “professional musician” title, it was Banks’ touring buddy Mickey Factz that inspired the true turning point in his career.
Once upon a time, Alfred Banks was known as Lyriqs da Lyraciss — an offbeat moniker that made for difficult Googling and was often laughed at. Factz, who Banks considers a mentor, was instrumental in the rapper’s switch to his given name.
“Back in 2014, on my first tour with Mickey (The Red or Blue Pill Tour), we were in Boston and we got into a long talk. Actually, it was more like an argument…a fire argument! And in the middle of it, he was like, ‘Fam, you need to change your name! You’re better than your name! Go by your real name!’,” Banks confessed during our hour-long conversation. “As soon as the tour was done, I changed my name officially and it was a real turning point.”
He added that “some blogs literally wouldn’t post my stuff because of they hated the old name.”
The upcoming tour, which is headlined by Factz with Banks as a special guest, will have nine dates across eight states for two solid weeks. Factz, fresh off a shining moment on HOT 97 with Funkmaster Flex, recently released an album with Nottz Raw, The Achievement, which features Curren$y, Styles P, Smoke DZA, and several other artists.
Banks just dropped two new tracks on April 10th and has an album, The Beautiful, out now. The album reached No. 12 on the iTunes Rap/Hip-Hop chart.
Click here for tickets to any of the Factz/Banks tour. They’ll be making stops in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Illinois.