Heir to the Marley family legacy, grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, Joseph “Jo Meresa” Marley, has died at the age of 31.

According to Rolling Stone death was confirmed a representative for the young man confirmed his passing, and according to TMZ, he passed away from asthma-related conditions. However, the exact cause of death was not shared.

President of the People’s National Party, and current Opposition Leader, Mark J. Golding, shared his condolences to the family on Twitter, writing, “I’ve just learned of the tragic loss of Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley. A talented young reggae artiste, son of Stephen Marley & grandson of Bob Marley at only 31 yrs old. The loss of a child is a devastating blow no parent should face, my condolences to Stephen & the entire family.”  

I’ve just learned of the tragic loss of Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley. A talented young reggae artiste, son of Stephen Marley & grandson of Bob Marley at only 31 yrs old. The loss of a child is a devastating blow no parent should face, my condolences to Stephen & the entire family. pic.twitter.com/BJf1NLH6Qc

— Mark J. Golding (@MarkJGolding) December 27, 2022

Marley was born in Jamaica in 1992 and spent a decade growing up there before he relocated with his family to Miami at 11. As one may expect, he was immediately introduced to the world of music. He had a natural inclination to take the stage and performed with his father, along with his uncle Ziggy and aunts Cedella and Sharon, as part of the Melody Makers as a kid. He would also join his cousin, eldest son of Ziggy Marley, Daniel Bambaata Marley, on their 1989 track “Look Who’s Dancing.” The two would collaborate in middle school, releasing Marley’s first official song, “My Girl,” in 2010 before he released his debut solo offering in the form of 2014’s Comfortable.

Two years after the release of his solo effort, he joined his father on “Revelation Party,” a stand-out on the elder Marley’s LP Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life. He kept active and connected through the pandemic, releasing Eternal in 2021 with artists, including Black-Am-I, Kabaka Pyramid and Busy Signal.

He spoke about his early life in an interview with Rolling Stone saying, “It was a very magical thing, seeing those people come around to the house and how the whole work process would happen. I would come home and try to do homework, but I’d end up getting distracted and go peek in the studio. You would always want to run in and run out to see what was going on.” He also shared about the future of his life and music in the interview, sharing, “I am one of the new generation of Marleys, but I am still experimenting at the same time. My plan is to do something new with my roots.”

This story is ongoing.