Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Jo Mersa Marley, grandson of reggae legend Bob Marley confirmed dead.
Jamaican-American reggae artist Joseph Mersa-Marley died on Tuesday at the age of 31.
The musician was found unresponsive in a vehicle in the United States on Tuesday, according to the streaming service TIDAL.
The artist – who went by his stage name Jo Mersa – reportedly had suffered from asthma his entire life and the Florida radio station WZPP claimed he had died of an asthma attack, Daily Mail reports.
He was the grandson of iconic reggae musician Bob Marley and the son of Stephen Marley.
Bob tragically died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36, but he is widely considered one of the pioneers of reggae music. The late star had 11 children with seven different partners.
Daily Mail notes that it has reached out to Joseph’s representatives for comment.
Marley spent his early years in Jamaica, where he attended Saints Peter and Paul Preparatory School. He then moved to Florida where he was a student at Palmetto High School. When at Miami Dade College he studied studio engineering.
In 2014, he released the EP called Comfortable and in 2021 he came out with Eternal.
There is a new movie about Bob Marley in the works.
Kingsley Ben-Adir is set to portray the legendary singer in the movie, which will be helmed by King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green and produced by Rita and her and Bob’s son Ziggy, and daughter Cedella Marley.
Rita and the Marley family are said to have given their blessing to Lynch being cast in the film.
Lashana Lynch will play Bob Marley’s wife in a new biopic.
The No Time To Die star – who portrayed MI6 agent Nomi in the James Bond motion picture – is said to be in line to take on the role of Rita Marley in the as-yet untitled film for Paramount.
A rep for the singer confirmed Marley’s death to Rolling Stone, but did not give a cause of death.
The Jamaican American reggae artist was allegedly found unresponsive in a vehicle, according to an initial tweet by journalist Abka Fitz-Henley on Tuesday.
South Florida radio station WZPP posted on Instagram that it had confirmed Jo Mersa’s passing and said he died of an asthma attack, though it did not specify a location where it happened. It noted that the singer leaves behind a wife and daughter.
Stephen Marley additionally has a daughter, Mystic Marley, who is also a musician. Stephen’s siblings include musician Ziggy Marley and entrepreneur Rohan Marley.
Jo Mersa spent his early years in Jamaica before he moved to Florida in high school. He studied studio engineering at Miami Dade College, according to a 2014 Jamaica Observer story.
He released an EP, “Comfortable,” in 2014 that included the title track.
In a 2021 interview with the Jamaica Gleaner, timed to his second EP “Eternal” — which featured Melii, Black-Am-I, Busy Signal and Kabaka Pyramid — Jo Mersa opened up about his songwriting prowess.
“In all honesty, it depends on the vibe because sometimes you will have a tune or idea, like a whole tune is in your head but no beat, and other times, you have a beat and no tune,” he said. “That’s for me, of course. I can’t speak for everyone. Some songs I am able to finish in a night, and some take longer.”
He also opened up about his grandfather’s legacy in 2021, saying that his family often looked back on it year after year on the anniversary of his death.
“We always hear those reflections, speaking about those things, about the role that he played not only as family member and father, but also in the world and the impact he had on the Reggae community and the Reggae culture, the roots, bringing forward the message of Rastafari and love, over all love,” he told Reggaeville.
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