Whether it’s working behind the boards as an engineer, producing for fellow up-and-comers or in the booth rapping, Banks The Genius, now in his early 20s, has been involved in Chicago’s hip hop scene for a handful of years cultivating his sound and vision. With “FML”, the latest single we’re proud to premiere, Banks continues his quest for experimentation, broadcasting a diffusive sound with enough breathing room between drum patterns to allow the multi-faceted artist to explore his musings on interpersonal relationships with stellar results. Alongside the exclusive release, we also talked to Banks about his growth, what we can expect from him in the near future and, of course, the new record. Check out the Q&A below.

Since we met a few years back, you've grown and developed yourself quite a bit as an artist and member of the music community. Can you tell us about your life has changed in the past year?

Man, a lot has changed, especially in this last year.  I feel like as a whole I've really grown as a person and an artist.  All the time spent learning new things, working with different people and creating has brought me to this point where I'm finding a comfortability and confidence in my abilities. 

Recently, I teamed up with Chris Barnett (CBMix) to open a studio in the South Loop (Glass Tree Creative), so I think that has had a lot to do with it too.  Not only am I able to be in a creative and nurturing environment on a daily basis, but, I no longer have to worry about having a consistent place to work out of. It's really given me the freedom to experiment and try new things without the pressure and financial strain of paying for studio time, which has been life changing, honestly. 

That said, it's been a little while since we've heard raps from you. Is "FML" the beginning of a new trend?

Yes and no.  I've definitely got plenty of raps in the vault but I've been stepping out of my comfort zone recently and so I'm using these singles ("FML" / "Ninety Nine") as more of an experiment. I want to be known for more than just rapping raps, so this new sound is just one of the many ways I'm attempting to do that.

"FML" is normally an acronym associated with a more negative phrase, but you spun it on 'em. Can you tell us about the significance of the song and it's title?

Conceptually, the song has to do with finding someone that connects with you on a broader, long term level. If you take the lyrics from the hook, 

"I don't need no happy ending / I want the real that's no pretending / I just hope you never question and follow my lead"

It's basically just saying nothing is perfect but despite that, there’s someone or something out there that’s perfect for you. Instead of the negative phrase, it’s more like i got you and you got me, so follow my lead and we’ll conquer anything thrown at us. 

This song is definitely not like other music you've put out in the past. What inspired you to go in this direction sonically?

Just experimenting and taking myself out of the figurative box I put myself in as a rapper. I wanted to try something new so I've been approaching the process differently. For this particular song I came up with the melody and hook and then built a beat around it. Which was a really cool process and I feel like it allowed me to craft something unique in the context of my current catalog. 

Did you produce this track as well?

Yes! 

Do you find it easier to put together a song when you're on emcee and production duty?

I don’t think its necessarily easier, however, I can take responsibility for every element of the song and I just really like the idea of being self sufficient. 

What can we expect from Banksthegenius in 2016?

A lot of music. I want to focus on being very prolific and letting the records I’ve been sitting on out into the world.  So, whether it’s my own material, production placements with other artists, collaborations, or anything in between, you can expect to hear it this year.