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In a week that Jamaicans were emotionally deflated by the news that several elite Jamaican athletes had switched allegiances to Turkey, 20-year-old recording artiste Yung Lion is urging Jamaicans to “lion up”.
“Everybody affi lion up and women haffi lioness up. Now more than ever, the black nation is under attack from forces who don’t want us to remember that we are kings and queens, we need to regain our dignity and pride and lion up,” Yung Lion said.
To this young rhyme spitter, the ‘lion up’ concept is a way of life and it means to stand firm, rise up and defend righteousness. Yung Lion believes the old African proverb that says “when there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you”.
“When we link up, we are powerful as a people. Every man, woman and child has a lion within themselves, and when the lions unite, there is a pride, a literal pride of lions. We have to re-energise our pride as black people,” the artiste whose real name is Christian Low Hoy, said.
His single, Lion Up, will be officially released on all digital streaming platforms via US-indie label Low Hoys Entertainment.
FUSION
Yung Lion describes his style as a fusion reggae, dancehall “a little Afro vibes and sometimes even a hip hop bounce”.
“Yung Lion’s music is militant but can also be melodic, conscious and catchy at the same time. My voice carries a message, but mi also bring de vibes weh mek d people dem move, think and heal all at once,” Yung Lion said.
The year 2024 was one of firsts for Yung Lion as he released his début EP and fulfilled his childhood dream of making his début on Reggae Sumfest. And he is just getting started.
Born in Staten Island in 2005 and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, he discovered his passion for music early on, performing reggae songs for his family and practising various instruments. His defining moment came at age 10 when he performed alongside renowned artistes on a cruise and held his own.
The artiste, who is of Trinidadian and Greek parentage, started his professional music career at age 15. He grew up listening to 90s dancehall from Buju Banton, Cham, Bounty Killer and Ninja Man but he’s ‘fully influenced” by the likes of the late Jo Mersa, Stephen and Damion Marley.
“Mi haffi mention Capleton and Sizzla. Capleton have di fire weh mi a try push and Sizzla have di energy and melodies. Bounty Killer and Ninja Man fi dem raw delivery and di way dem command the crowd. Haffi big up Jr. Gong and Stephen Marley, cause dem a OG inna dis and dem flow different from the rest. Baby Cham and Aidonia are two artiste that I’ve always looked up to as well,” he said.
One of the defining moments of his teenage life came when his cousin Josh, an older brother figure and key motivator in his musical journey, was shot and killed in Trinidad. Other emotional heartbreaks followed such as the death of his close friend and confidante, Jo Mersa.
However, Yung Lion has used his music to heal and now that he has a growing repertoire of new releases and songs set to unleash this summer, he is ready to make his mark.
English (US) ·