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Twenty-year-old recording artiste Yung Lion is urging Jamaicans to "lion up" even in the face of the twin tigers of high inflation and low wages.

"Everybody affi lion up and the women have to lioness up. Now ah the time fi lion 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," said the artiste whose given name is Christian Low Hoy. He said the Lion Up concept is a way of life.

"[It] is more than just ah phrase. It's ah mindset. It means fi stand firm, rise up and defend righteousness. Even when di system tries to hold we down, even when things look bleaky," he said. He is gearing up to release a single of the same name.

Born in Staten Island, New York, 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 Marleys, specifically, Stephen, Damian and the late Jo Mersa. That influence is evident on his debut EP, also titled Lion Up, which consists of songs such as I Don't and Unfriendly.

He will be releasing a video for the Lion Up accompanied by an aggressive street and online marketing campaign. In the past, he has performed on gigs in London, UK, and graced the stage on festivals in the American Mid West and West Coast.

"The reason mi call myself Yung Lion is because in my eyes, the lion represents leadership and strength. Same way mi move inna music. The 'Yung' just simply shows that mi ah bring di fire from the new generation, but mi spirit ancient like Jah time," he said.