How do I remove the crap that is above the keyboard now after the latest update?

Scroll that "band of icons" all the way from right to left. The rightmost item should look like three dots placed horizontally next to each other. Tap those dots.

Then tap "Edit" in the upper right corner. You will be able to remove most (but not all) icons from there.

Smckenna03 wrote:

No it does not disappear once I start typing. Thanks though!

Ah, this means you have turned off predictive typing (Settings > General > Keyboard > Predictive = "Off").

If you use predictive typing, it will override the icons.

Start typing

As Lawrence Finch told you, the band disappears once you start typing. So what's the big deal keeping it around until then?

To hide it, tap the A next to the camera.

It will come back once the Messages app is "refreshed" or closed then opened since it is on by default, then repeat the process.