The Chicago rap scene has a good track record of producing some of the genre’s biggest stars from a young age within the past decade. The city’s artists like Chief Keef, Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Saba, Ravyn Lenae, G Herbo, Lucki and Polo G all rose to prominence as teenagers in the music industry.
Now, there’s a new teenage standout, and it’s 16-year-old Star Bandz. Bandz brings the drill sound to the genre, but with the twist of not cussing in her music. After building a buzz from 2022, Bandz’s mainstream breakout moment came in August with Sugarhill Ddot’s release of “My Baby.”
Bandz has also been tapped to go on tour with Luh Tyler on select dates this fall. She recently spoke to rolling out about it all.
What has life been like since “My Baby” blew up?
It’s been good.
I like how people are listening to my versatility with different flows because I never dropped that type of music before.
So it helped me to know how my fans like that type of music because I never made anything like that. I was scared before that, and I still have some melodic songs I haven’t dropped yet.
Who are Star Bandz’s top five Chicago rappers?
My top five Chicago rappers, in general, are Kanye …
We have to give it to G Herbo.
Chief Keef, Lil Durk.
And then you say one more, I feel like I missing somebody, I’m missing somebody.
I have to think of the last person … Polo G.
Who are some people you want to work with?
Adele.
I want to work with [YoungBoy Never Broke Again]; he’s one of my favorite artists. One day, I would love to work with him.
I want to do a song with a pop artist like Bruno Mars. Taylor Swift’s hard, too. And I’d say Billie Eilish.
I saw your mom with you on the stream with Deshae Frost. How appreciative are you to have your parents around you during this rise to fame?
I’m very thankful for it, and I enjoy her being around me when I’m out so I don’t feel uncomfortable, nervous, or anything like that.
I’d rather be with my people than somebody I just met or somebody I don’t know, for real.
I know my parents aren’t going to let anything happen to me.
How do you feel about your upcoming tour with Luh Tyler?
I’m excited for the tour. I’m not going to lie.
The last time I was excited, we were going to go to the United Kingdom. I was hurt when we weren’t going [on a tour with Veeze anymore] because you have to think about it, I’m working, but I’m still seeing the world. And I’m not on a plane. I was going to drive. We were going to drive, and stuff like that on the Veeze tour. I was excited about that one, but it ended up getting canceled.
Then, they asked me if I wanted to do Luh Tyler’s, and I was like, “Oh yeah.”
I’m just going to do half of the tour, but I’m still going to do the tour and I’m very excited.
Then, on top of that, I’m thinking, “Dang, I just blew up. I’m about to go on tour already. That’s crazy.”
How long have you been rapping?
I’ve been rapping for four years now. I wrote my first rap in 2020, so that’s when I started to rap … People used to ask me in interviews where I see myself in 12 months or five years, and in reality, I don’t know. I know I’m going to be somewhere, but I just can’t picture it in my head because I couldn’t see myself getting this far a year ago today.
