Downsound Recording artiste Lion is one of the new faces you've got to look out for in the near future given the way FM radio has been gobbling up his new singles, Thank You Jah' and the up-tempo Sika'.
A definite insider sensation because of his high-energy vocals and unique delivery, Lion is a true firebrand deejay. Born Ricardo Pitter on July 25, 1978, he grew up at 3 Scarlet Road, Spanish Town where he attended Macaulay Primary and Spanish Town Comprehensive High where he left school at age 17.
He grew up in the premises that also housed K & D Dub Cutting Studio, so at the tender age of 8 years old, he learned to cut dubs, and by his adolescent years, he had begun to hone his skills at the resident set, the Miami Vince sound system. “Yea, man, I began at an early age, in fact, it was Little Meeks and Daddy Meeks who make me do a dub plate for Black Giant at 9 years old,” he explained.
“My uncle Ken owned the studio and I used to turn on the equipment when no one was around, and run the machine wid the mi cousin Ramone. So I loved music at an early age, but my parents never saw music as a career, as a way of bringing in the bread every week, so after graduating, I learned the mason trade,” he said, simply.
He worked at that trade for a few years, landed a job with Walters and Company which is based in St. Ann's Bay, and became quite adept at construction work. He had promised himself that it was only a temporary state of affairs, but with the birth of his child, he soon found himself trapped' on the worked site “I had to make money to take care of my yute, it is a decision I don't regret, I did it out of love and a sense of responsibility, but now that the yute is pass a certain age, it is time for me to pursue my career full time again,” he explain with a beaming smile.
In July of 2005, Lion Cub rejoin forces with friend and engineer Michael Adams, who is now based at Downsound Records, and together, they have been locked in the musical lab, turning out music to heal the souls of man.
Songs like “Gas Up” on the “Sweet Sop Rhythm” received good airplay, especially from the 93.5 FM overseas disc jock “Samantha Rose” but it is his latest effort, the superbly produced and reverent, “Thank You Jah” on an exclusive rhythm that has reggae dancehall aficionados sitting up and paying attention to this young man. The lyrics speak of the sheer joy of life and go “Thank You Jah”, thank you to rise me up this morning/As I see Jah sun is rising/I know that Jah blessing is adoring/Why, why whoa/if a neva Jah, how could live to see this morning…
It is song that whisper to your soul like an early morning breeze. I am looking to do the album now. I recently voiced over ten songs, and I have eight rhythms now that I am writing for, it's just crazy work right now, plus there are plans for videos, especially for “Thank You Jah,” he said. He will be performing at the Western Consciousness at Llandilo in Westmorland on April 29th 2006. “I'm just going to keep doing the work seeking truth, right and justice,” he said. Until them, Lion Cub is given praise to a higher power. “Thank You Jah”.
Lion has recently completed his first ever video entitled “Sika Sitten”. On the Downsound Records label. This video medley that entitles Lion cub, Nanko, I-Maroon, Natallie, Mellinum and Harry Toddler has been in rotation through out the media waves and also on the club scenes Lion keeps Thanking Jah for the joy that he has blessed him with in working alongside these artist. At the present moment he is working on building new uplifting muzik to keep fans pleased and his videos for the world to see.
Lion Cub Home Page