For teen rap phenom Star Bandz, the story of her rise is as written as they come. The origin point to her buzz starts right before her 16th birthday, when she gave herself the present of a lifetime: her first hit, “Yea Yea”. In an effort to go viral and establish herself, her decision has become the gift that keeps on giving. Emerging into the scene last year, it didn’t take long for her assertive delivery and gritty lyricism to catch the industry’s attention.
Rising during an era where we’ve seen the elevation of female dominance in rap, Star is the youngest amongst the pack, unphased and focused as ever. It became immediately noticeable even during our Zoom call during our exclusive EARMILK interview.
Star jokingly says, “If I’m stunting right now, it’s not on purpose. I can’t help it.”
It’s this level of swagger and unwavering confidence that’s become the centre of her star power as she’s grown her profile and dropping multiple collaborations with artists like 1 Up Tee and Veeze. Fast forward to now, Star has her first major project, along with a deluxe version out now with nine additional tracks.
Estrella is a sharp, self-assured statement from an artist who raps with conviction and charisma. Her flow is calculated but unfiltered, riding each beat with a natural confidence that makes every line stick. Tracks like "1125" showcase her infectious hook-making ability, while "Speaking French" highlights a grittier, more hypnotic cadence that commands attention. There’s no wasted space—just raw energy, slick wordplay, and a presence that refuses to be ignored. With her first full-length, Star Bandz is proving herself to be an artist moving with purpose, delivering bars and bangers on her own terms.
On top of that and finishing up school, 17-year old songwriter has sights set on a nationwide tour with Sugarhill Ddot and DD Osama, along with preparing for her first festival performance at Lollapalooza in her hometown Chicago this summer. Quite the accomplishment for the young newcomer who has just recently experienced her first festival within the past year. Star explains, "I always heard about it but I never knew too much about it. Now, people in the game are telling me how big it is, but I'm now really excited about it now. I know it's going to be raw… I just went to my first festival last summer, so I see how turnt they [are]."
And hopefully before the year ends, fans can look forward to a follow-up project as Star Bandz confirms that she's already in the studio for her debut album. While her intentions with Estrella is to give listeners a better understanding of what she has to offer, her expresses her excitement towards taking her time with its creation and working on her vocal range to deliver more melodic tones within her music. As she continues to evolve as an artist, her journey reflect a relentless pursuit of growth and consistency. Her commitment to refining her craft and exploring new dimensions in her music suggests that listeners can anticipate fresh sounds for fans in the near future.
