Arising from Lexington, Kentucky rapper Lane Allen began his career at a young age releasing original Hip Hop tracks to soundcloud without serious intent. Born Tucker Lewis, on September 1st, 1999. He graduated in 2017 from Lafayette High School in Lexington, KY.
Miraculously managing to uphold his education while spending his fair share of time in and out of the court system Lane spent his 17th Birthday in Juvenile Jail in Sumner County, TN.
Accumulating 9 felonies it was clear the only career choice was to tell his story through music. Growing up in Wilmore, Kentucky from a low income family was no simple task as it lead to Lane having lived alone since he was 15 years old.
Lanes portrayal and versatility of new flows while incorporating real life experiences makes for an immersive listen through with a new 10 Track Album One Way that came out September 1st.
With features from 24HRS, Caskey, Danny Towers, Joey Fatts, Est Gee, & Derek James; since then Lane had accumulated 10 or more collaborative singles with @dannytowers, the first of which being Lets Take It There, which released Dec. 30th.
Where are you from and how was life growing up? Iām from Wilmore, KY. I moved to Lexington when I was 10. I grew up in a neighborhood out Loudon and Winchester rd. I didnāt have it easy by any means but it definitely wasnāt like i was living in poverty. My mother always maintained a roof over our heads, and thatās what mattered. When I was 15, I moved out on my own and was using my brothers name to get places. Iāve just always done what needed to be done to get by.
How did the rap name come to be? I coined my rap moniker in 2016 shortly after a friend of mine passed away, i was becoming intent on being a serious musician and the street Lane Allen had always been a common area we stayed near. one day i looked up who lane allen was and it turned out he was a famous poet from Lexington, KY. James Lane Allen. I figured iād show my appreciation to his previous work by dropping the James out of the name and continuing on his writings with my music. but truthfully i wouldāve never even thought to use it as my pseudonym if my friend D.Lee handy mentioned it, he said it sounded like a rap name so i did the research then ran with it. shoutout DLee for real.
Where does the inspiration come from for creating music? I was originally inspired to make music because D.Lee is extremely talented at free styling and we had a friend named Caleb, who was very motivated to become an production engineer.
I used to just rap to laugh and joke around but once our friend Caleb passed away, i took it upon myself to continue on his dream. Hoping one day his family will benefit from my success.
What artists inspired you the most and who do you currently listen to? i draw inspiration from many different sources, i donāt like to keep myself boxed in to one genre so artists like Mac Miller, Kevin Abstract, and Omar Apollo really inspire the alternative lyrical side of my production.
Artists like Kendrick, MF DOOM, & Peezy really inspire the gritty trap lyrics that are so often incorporated in my music.
Currently i listen to many artists, mainly Mac Miller. But also artists like EST Gee, Peezy, Pooh Shiesty, Omar Apollo, Verzache, Mt. Joy, Healy, Rod Wave, Etc.
What kind of support do you get from your home town/state? lately the support from the city has been amazing, more than ever before i feel like i finally have an abundance of people really supporting me. itās really gratifying meeting someone and they tell me all about their favorite songs. things like that really make me understand i have a voice and i fully intend to use it and go far with it.
i like to consider myself friends with everyone and i think thatās something thatās definitely separated myself from others and really made supporters want to engage more, because i always reply and i always engage with anyone who shows love. Like if youāre in my dmās saying you love my music bam youāre automatically my friend. iām extremely grateful and i love my supporters so much.
If you wasn’t rapping, what would you be doing right now? if i didnāt start rapping i probably wouldāve gone to college, my pops owns a locksmith business so i couldāve done that if i wanted. no part of me ever wanted to work a 9-5 though, i got my first job when i was 14 at winchells and was working 40 hour weeks while going to school. i could tell it was something i couldnāt do long term.
i want to spend my 30ās with my kids recording music and taking care of my family. not serving plates at winchells. though iām grateful for the position winchells put me in, thereās just no way iām willing to sell my self short of what i know i can be.
What really makes you stand out and different from other artists? in my personal opinion i believe my work ethic sets me aside from the average artist. i never stop creating connections and making friends in the industry. they always say itās not about what you know; itās about who you know. i take that very seriously with my business approach to music. because itās not just about the talent, people want something they can tune in to and live vicariously through. iām happy to provide that with my personal experiences.
Tell us your craziest life story: for example, i moved out of my parents house and got my first car when i was 15; in 2015. in 2016 a close friend of mine was unfortunately fatally shot at a place on University Ave, in Lexington that my friends and I used to rent out. in 2017 i spent my 17th birthday in juvenile jail in Sumner County, TN. accumulating 9 felonies, luckily being a minor i got off easy. in 2018 i independently created a music venue that brought the local music scene closer, having 8 artists once a month bringing in almost 150 spectators on average. not to mention the surplus of stories i have about violent perpetrators (whose names shall not be named) iāve encountered throughout the years. the people close to me know what i mean but itās a story i plan to tell through my music when the times right.
Whatās your biggest goal in the music industry? currently my biggest goal is to have 1M monthly listeners by the end of 2021. right now iāve got 11,034 M/L. (1/12/21)
If you could collaborate with one single artist who would it be and why? if i had one artist i could work with right now (that isnāt dead) it would definitely be Jack Harlow, the motivation that man gives to artists in Kentucky is astonishingly commendable. I want to be do that for Lexington the way heās done it for Louisville. but in my own way.
Favorite Artists of all time and why? my favorite artist of all time is Mac Miller no doubt about it, heās been my most listened to artist for 4 years. i donāt think thereās anyone else i can proudly say i know their full discography and enjoy every bit of it. i have the āThatās Lifeā sun with the Pittsburgh hat tattooed on my leg. and iām getting the faces cover done on the 20th this month. Macās inspired me since before i wanted to make music, and got me through the worst times. I used to fall asleep with the faces mixtape playing every night when i was 15 and had just moved out of my parents house. i think it was like my comfort zone, how i coped with being on my own. i struggled with insomnia for years until just recently. falling asleep to music has always helped.
What advice would you give to inspiring rappers? if i had to give a piece of advice to aspiring artists, invest in yourself if you believe in yourself. nothing comes free and if you have talent and you put the work in but donāt put the right promotion in itās just a hobby at that point. be serious with yourself and donāt let anyone tell you to quit. also pro tip work with artists who have an established fan base and show their fan base youāre worthy of being heard as well. lastly, always engage with your fans and make sure theyāre aware you could not do this if it wasnāt for them supporting. because itās true, rap shows arenāt fun with no fans. iāve performed shows with 2 people and shows with 200 people. always be humble and donāt lose your roots.
