Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley is dead. The musician died at the age of 31, as a spokesman for Marley confirmed to “Rolling Stone”. A cause of death was not announced. Jo Mersa Marley comes from a musical family: the son of Stephen Marley and grandson of Bob Marley (1945-1981), he made his name as a Jamaican reggae artist.
Marley was born in Jamaica in 1992 before moving to Miami at the age of eleven. As a child he was already on stage with his father and also with his uncle Ziggy Marley and the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. In 2010 he released his first song “My Girl”, his first solo EP “Comfortable” was released four years later.
His work “Eternal”, which features collaborations with reggae and dancehall artists such as Busy Signal, was released in 2021. In an interview with “Rolling Stone”, Marley once explained that he wanted to go his own way away from his famous family: “I’m part of the new generation of Marleys, but at the same time I’m still experimenting. My plan is to create something new with my roots.”
Representatives of the music world have already paid tribute to the late musician on social media. Dancehall musician Sean Paul posted a picture of Marley on Instagram and wrote, “Rest In Peace. My condolences to Stephen Marley and the entire Marley family, all his friends and fans.”
Colleague Shaggy also posted the photo and commented, “So saddened by the news of the passing of this young King. Sending prayers and condolences to the Marley family.” DJ Khaled posted another portrait of the artist and wrote, “Stephen Marley, my deepest condolences. My prayers are with you and your family.”
