Hip-hop, indie rap
OSANI BALKARAN is an Indigenous and Guyanese rapper, producer, and artist based in Winnipeg. Blending Hip-Hop, storytelling, and cultural roots, he crafts self-produced tracks that feature Cree references and RE-IMAGINED melodies. His work reflects loss, resilience, and community pride. OSANI has opened for The Lytics and Gully, showcased at Canadian Music Week, featured in the 2025 Indigenous Music Spotlight and is planning an upcoming Manitoba Tour with Kirstine McKay and Mike North. He’s now focused on releasing his debut EP—built with local creatives—and using music as a platform to uplift Indigenous and minority youth.
November 7th at The WECC, Osani Balkaran is set to headline a night to launch the release of his debut EP Social Currency— his first fully independent record. It’s been a long time coming, and this project marks the end of one chapter and the start of a whole new wave. The live set is gonna be wild — cinematic, soundscapy, high energy, and full of those Guyanese and Indigenous sounds that make Osani’s music hit different. Dyl the Giant, Ed Riley, and Prado are pulling up too — artists who’ve been part of the journey and help carry the same energy: inspiring, building each other up, and showing out for community. Come through and see what this West End kid did on laptop … live.