On-the-rise conscious reggae singer Inkline would want something to be done about the youths who loiter on the corner. With this in mind, he penned Lean Pon Di Corner.

“We all know COVID-19 has turn our attention away from some critical problems which need to be addressed — one of which is youths on the corner. I walk every single day, I mean when there is no curfews, and there is not a single day these youths do not have a spliff, a cup with alcohol,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“What is their contribution to society? One of the most likely scenario is that one day the police will pull up and they are trucked away to the police station, and in a couple of years [they will become] another police statistic,” he continued.

Lean Pon Di Corner — released September 3, 2021— is on the Coconut Juice Production imprint.

According to singer, it is aimed at motivating the youths for a better life and to bring attention to a problem which needs a quick fix.

“These youths don’t work ‘pon di corner’ but they have to survive and you had better believe they have children… sometimes with three babymothers,” he said.

According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, the Labour Force Survey for April 2021, there were 119,400 unemployed persons. This was an increase of 13.5 per cent or 14,200 in the number of unemployed persons when compared to April 2019. The number of unemployed males was 53,400, an increase of 34.2 per cent. In comparison, the number of unemployed females was 66,000 compared to 65,400 in April 2019.

For the period, the youth (ages 14-24) unemployment rate also increased by 4.6 percentage points to 24 per cent in April 2021 when compared to 2019. The unemployment rate for male youths was 21.1 per cent and 28 per cent for females.

Inkline (given name Kenroy Shakes) said Lean Pon Di Corner is the first single from his upcoming eight-song EP entitled Free Yourself. That project is slated for release on December 2021 on Sharon “Queen Shazz” Shakes-owned Coconut Juice imprint.

In addition to the title track, its tracklisting includes Jah Blessings, Where is the Love, and Live My Life. Lutan Fyah is featured on Island Diva, while Natty King appears on Royal Empress. It will be availble on all digital platforms.

Inkline grew up in Haddo, Westmoreland. He attended KnockalvaTechnical High School in Hanover before relocating to Spanish Town in St Catherine. He recorded his first song, Nuh Money Nuh Mek, in 2011.

He has performed on several high-profile shows, including Rebel Salute, and is well-respected for his charitable back-to-school fairs in St Catherine.

His previous songs are Tek It Easy, No Ebola, and That’s How I Know.