Reggae artist Joe Mercia Marley, grandson of Bob Marley, dies at 31

Jo Mirissa Marley attends the 2014 Caribbean American Movers and Shakers at the Frost Museum of Art on October 10, 2014 in Miami. (Photo: John Barra/Getty Images)

Joseph Marley, eldest son of eight-time Grammy Award winner Stephen Marley and second grandson of reggae legend Bob Marley, has died at the age of 31. The Jamaican-American recording artist and DJ, known as Joe Mirsa, was found unresponsive in a car on Tuesday, December 27, according to Jamaica-based journalist Apca Fitz-Henley, who first reported Report the news. Joe Mersa’s representative later confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. The cause of death was not disclosed, though, to a South Florida radio station WZPP It was reported that the artist died of an asthma attack.

Born Joseph Marley on March 12, 1991, in Kingston, the third generation Marley grew up surrounded by music, performing on stage at the age of four with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – his father, Uncle Ziggy, and Cedella’s aunts and uncles. Sharon – During that group’s concert finals. He moved to Florida at the age of 11, where he studied studio engineering and was observed by his father and uncle Damian Marley working in Stephen Lyons Den Studio. Joseph made his official musical debut in 2010 with the song “My Girl”, a collaboration with his older cousin Daniel Bambaataa Marley, which was released on the Marley family imprint record label Ghetto Youths International and was produced by his father. This was followed by the smash hit “Bad So” in 2012, with his debut EP, comfortablewhich will be released in 2014.

Joseph has also worked with Jesse Royal, Alborosi, Farruko, Jamiere Morgan, Barbara Fialho, The Grandpickneys, and Morgan Heritage, appearing on the latter’s Grammy Award-winning album. strict roots in 2015. But of course, he often records with his large and talented family. comfortable Produced by Stephen and Damian Marley, Joseph appeared on his father’s album, Revelation, Pt. 2: The fruit of life, in 2016. That same year, he collaborated with his younger brother, Johan Marley, on the single “Burn It Down,” and the brothers joined forces again in 2020 for “Brickell (When Tears Fall)”, which was inspired by their adopted home. Miami city. In the spring of 2022, Joseph was featured along with his uncles Ke Mani and Julian Marley on Dominican music producer Maffio’s reggaeton song “Blessings”.

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Joseph has spoken often about his sense of responsibility to carry on his family’s legacy, saying Sidewalk In 2014, “That’s a lot of power, and influence, and it’s magic, but I just don’t let it get to my head. [Bob Marley] I’ve made a huge step for Jamaican music and it’s time for me to add my work to it, to build on it.” In a 2021 interview with RijevelHe reflected on his grandfather’s influence, saying, “From a family point of view, you’ll hear memories from my dad or our uncles, you’ll see them post pictures or even just talk to us in an environment that talks about ‘I remember when my dad did this or when he came from Africa or when my dad did this.'” The interview or when he was in Italy. So, we always hear those reflections, we talk about those things, about the role that they play [Bob] He played not only as a member of the family and father, but also in the world and the influence he had on the reggae community and reggae culture, the roots, delivering the message of Rastafari and love, on all love. … It’s family to us, that’s normal for me, but it’s still special.”

Jo Mirissa Marley performs at Kaya Fest at Bayfront Park Runway on April 22, 2017 in Miami.  (Photo: John Barra/WireImage)

Jo Mirissa Marley performs at Kaya Fest at Bayfront Park Runway on April 22, 2017 in Miami. (Photo: John Barra/WireImage)

Joseph’s most recent release under the Joe Mirsa moniker was in 2021 everlasting The EP, which featured collaborations with Kabaka Pyramid, Black I Am, Melii and Busy Signal, was critically heralded as his biggest step yet towards entering his own world as an artist. a press release He admitted to the EP that “the prestige of Marley’s bloodline comes with its fair share of expectations”, and said that Joseph was “eager to honor his family while maintaining his unique sound and style… insignificant in the modern reggae scene”. In an interview with Jamaica Publishing The Gleanerdescribing the self-confessed perfection of experience everlasting The project, which incorporates influences of dubstep, dancehall, EDM, hip-hop, and roots reggae, as “out of my comfort zone”, specifically about the track “That Dream” produced by his cousin Soul Marley: “While I would have done many times, it took It’s a minute to sound what it sounds like. I was usually a deejay and I sang in some low keys. I think listeners will hear me doing falsetto or high notes at the end of the words, so when I sing, ‘All I know is I’m going to sleep at night, when I have this dream it’s all A nightmare, ‘I had to keep doing it over and over again just to get it right’.

Apart from his many Marley relatives, Joe Mirsa is survived by his wife and daughter. In 2020, he recorded the single “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You!” to his daughter, with his father Stephen producing again, explaining in a statement: “The inspiration for this song was basically a letter to my daughter letting her know that she will be well protected because this is my job as a dad.”

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