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Rapper BANK$ proves the power of music in his debut EP


Music has long been known to bring people together, not only for the listeners but the creators as well. That is exactly what happened when Charlotte, NC local and New York native BANK$ decided to bring his music to life in the middle of 2018. The creation of his debut self titled EP ‘BANK$’ all began in the summer of last year when he and another local music enthusiast and producer by the name Cisco! decided to collaborate and let the music and a vibe take the driver seat. Starting out, the setup was pretty simple. A wooden desk, two chairs, a computer and a couple of speakers. Soon after, they found themselves creating something they were truly proud of and wanted to take to the next level. Which grew into a group, a mindset, a mantra, and entity referred to as SKWÅD.

We had the chance to catch up with most of those involved in the creation of this EP and learn a bit about how it came to fruition and ultimately what the album means to those involved. As it turns out, the producer BANK$ originally had lined up for the project ended up not working out. However, a few weeks later through a friendship grew a business opportunity for BANK$ and Cisco! to officially join forces. Cisco! was brought onto the project as a Producer. The first song they began to work on, actually happens to be the first one on the tracklist. From the beat, to the lyrics it brought a vibe they were going for and they knew they were onto something. The song we speak of is called “Honeymooners.

All of this EP is driven and created by the energy they each possessed combined with whatever was happening in their personal lives, it acted almost as a therapy session. In the end though they knew they wanted it to be something that had a simple sound, yet felt blissful and proved their ground. Over the course of its creation, they wanted to amp it up and the bring a certain finesse to the vocals. Enter Chris Glasco, better known as ‘85 who brought to life some of the vocal flows you hear as well as adding his own beats to the tracks. Even bringing his shoe game into the mix, including the inspiration to one of the songs on the EP through the showcase of his Versace Chain Reactions.

Over time the collaboration between these three fabricated a mantra, a mindset, and a way of life known as SKWÅD. It’s an entity that encourages the support of one another while also driving them to chase after what each is passionate about.  Much like with any music creation process there were bumps along the way as everyone found their own values and dealt with deadlines and unexpected hiccups. Nevertheless though these moments of turbulence they were able to find stability and ultimately take “Flight”. Throughout the process of this EP, BANK$, Cisco! And ‘85 came together to create a collection of songs under the canopy of SKWÅD, and you can expect plenty of amazing things to come from all three of these gentlemen as they approach their own projects and time moves forward.

A few days before the ‘BANK$’ EP was introduced to the world and all major streaming services, SKWÅD hosted a listening party in uptown Charlotte and we were there to hear it for the first time. Immediately it was obvious the amount of support that this EP had from the number of friends and fans that showed up. It was a night of great music and feel good vibes as everyone enjoyed themselves and connected with one another. All powered by the music. A humble man by day that tends to stay out of the spotlight, BANK$ brought the fire when he stepped up to give a live performance of some of the songs throughout the evening. All while supported by ‘85 and Cisco!.

What are you waiting for?! If you’re “On The Fence” as to whether or not to check out this EP there’s no doubt in our mind that it’s full of “Trophies”. There’s more coming in the future so be sure to check out each of these talented individuals to keep up with what they have in store for the future. All we can say is this March… it’s about to be Madness.

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