Just how much can four years away from Uganda change a person? A lot, if the transformation of The Missing Link (real name Abba Lang) of Klear Kut is anything to go by.

At the time he left Uganda on September 27, 2005, apart from Klear Kut and maybe rapper Lyrical G, Ugandan hip hop had no mainstream attention. Klear Kut were the undisputed kings of Ugandan hip hop.

Today Klear Kut is some kind of a legendary super pioneer group, no longer considered an active group.

Different members of Klear Kut like Navio and Papito who is based in Bujumbura, Burundi have more thriving solo careers than they ever did when Klear Kut was on the road. And the biggest change of all that the Link immediately noticed was, "Doing hip hop is something that is actually cool now!"

But more has changed about the Link than Uganda, though he can't help wondering: "I don't know if it's me but it seems like the traffic in Kampala has become more hectic."

The Link is now a married man. He has been since he took his vows on October 24, 2008 in Germany.

It is a change the Link undertook because, "Sometimes you have to go against convention and do things your own way." One of the reasons why Abba did not find it hard to formalize his relationship with Betty is because, "She has been there for me through many tough times. She was there for me when I was studying in Malta and all those bad things were happening. She was there for me when my mum died."

The death of his mother is another big change for Abba and he says that greatly contributed to his staying away from Uganda for four years, something he had not planned when he was leaving.

Although he had had some doubts about going to study in Malta, he says, "The death of my mother a month before I could leave for Malta was like a great revolution in my life. My biological dad had died in 1989.

The loss of my last living biological parent in 2005 made me ready to accept many changes. Like going to study Communications and Psychology at the University of Malta." The Link cannot get over the fact that his mother never got to meet his future wife. Surprisingly enough, he first met her in Club Rouge in November 2004.

Half German, half Ugandan, she had come into the country, "for an academic year at Makerere University because her parents wanted her to get to know Uganda better before going back to Germany."

The Link says the relationship with Betty was able to survive their relocation from Uganda because, "Malta has a much faster internet connection than Uganda. It was a long distance relationship that thrived on modern technology like Skype where you can call and talk all day if you so wish." Besides, "Malta is like 30 minutes away by plane from Germany."

The relationship grew from a mere nightclub encounter to marriage not only because, "She is very pretty," but also because, "She is smart. She's a very intelligent girl. Right now as we speak she is doing a PHD in Chemistry. So you can tell she has something in her head."

The Link is amused by the fact that while he is very outgoing, his wife is very private to the extent of refusing to speak to the press or have her photo taken. Perhaps it is something he had never taken much notice of before because when he was in Malta and later in Germany, "Music [was] in the background. I kind of put it aside because in Malta, hip hop is not really there like it is here."

Although he is the programme coordinator on cultural diplomacy in Africa team for The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany, the Link believes he can still get back to making music. It was one of the reasons that saw him come back to Uganda on August 24, 2009 although he said this was just a visit.

How he gets his groove back yet he is a family man will be interesting to watch.