Ugandan rapper Lanie Banks signs to Drake's record label

Who are you?

I'm Micheal Osings, also known as Lanie Banks. I was born to Osings Didmus and Irene Wondo on October 10, 1996, at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.

All my life, I have not paid much attention to Christmas or any form of excessive leisure activity due to the fact that I was busy prioritizing and reminiscing about my life plans.

How do you plan your day?

I wake up at 5a.m., say my prayers, and peck my wife. I read and reply to my emails, inspect my young daughter’s room, then head out jogging for half an hour, shower, have breakfast, before driving off to the studio. I stay there for six hours, then switch to my other job for four hours, before returning home. I do this throughout the week with the exemption of weekends.

Why did you immigrate to Canada and when?

I moved because in Canada there are opportunities for people like me, especially with my genre of music. Lastly, it has been approximately 10 years since my initial entry. I first came as a visitor, but due to the immigration policy for full-time residence, it has been five years.

How do you compare the two countries in terms of lifestyle and the standard of living? Life is better over here, especially when you are talking in relation to the standard of living though the cost of living is somewhat high over here.

Where did you derive your inspiration in regard to rap music?

Initially, my inspiration derived from the reception I got from the crowd. On multiple occasions, my audience always enjoyed my rapping more than my singing and hence I realized that I was a gifted rapper. Other points to note are that I always listened to many rap legends, and this left me craving for more insight and in-depth knowledge when it came to rap.

When did you meet Drake and how did you end up working with OVO?

We met at the Scotiabank Arena in 2022 on December 27. For the signing part, my manager Reach Williams scheduled meetings and by God’s grace, it went down.

What do you think about the East African music industry?

East African music is still evolving; what I mean is, in East Africa, more especially Uganda, the citizens have not learned to embrace their own music; they instead opt for foreign music. They do not support their own musicians. Another point to note is they pay foreign musicians highly while their own artists remain underpaid.

How should we prevent the infiltration of foreign music in East Africa?

The government ministries in charge should put in place bodies to regulate the rate at which foreign music infiltrates their countries.

What takes up most of your leisure time?

I always attend to my flowers. I love flowers and I actually keep a huge collection in all forms -- potted, aqua and ground specimens. Lastly, I water, prune, spray and apply fertilisers to the flowering foliage and directly to the root ball.

Why did you start doing music?

Music is who I really am. I mean this whole thing passed from generation to generation. It is a family thing. Secondly, I was a Sunday school choir kid hence I was no stranger to music.

How many awards do you possess?

I only possess two awards to my name.

What is your educational background?

I went to Nabuyonga Elementary School, Mbale Senior Secondary School and St. Peter’s Senior Secondary School Naalya before joining Makerere University Kampala (Social administration).

What two East African artistes do you fancy?

Wahu and Stella Mwangi.

What kind of music do you do?

Trap, Hip-hop and Urban club music -- generally let us say any sound that revolves around rap is a true definition of what I do.

What do you consider the most vital?

My family is the most important part of me, and it always comes first in line.

Who are your family members?

I have four siblings named Calvin, Justine, Job Isaac and Caro. I'm married to Peace Nabududa and we have a daughter named Jedi Paris Osings.

How has parenthood influenced your life?

Firstly, I would love to thank God for my sweet little girl Jedi Paris Osings, she is a blessing from above however, being a father has changed a lot of things right now especially when it comes down to schedule, my schedule is very tight I don’t hang out like I used to and it has helped me focus more.

Do you plan to relocate back home?

Definitely yes, they say east or west home is always the best and that is for sure