Joseph Marley, the second grandchild of reggae artist Bob Marley and the eldest son of Stephen Marley, an eight-time Grammy winner, has passed away at the age of 31.

Journalist Abka Fitz-Henley, based in Kingston, Jamaica, was the first to break the news that the recording artist and DJ known professionally as Jo Mersa was discovered unconscious in a car on Tuesday, Dec. 27.

Later, the information was confirmed to Rolling Stone by a Jo Mersa’s spokesperson.

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The artist passed away from an asthma attack, according to South Florida radio station WZPP, although the exact cause of death has not been made public.

About Joseph Marley

Joseph Marley was born on March 12, 1991, in Kingston.

The third-generation Marley spent his early years immersed in music, making his stage debut at the age of 4 with his father, uncle Ziggy, aunts Cedella and Sharon, and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.

At the age of 11, he moved to Florida where he studied studio engineering and watched his father and uncle Damian Marley perform in Stephen’s Lion’s Den studio.

With the 2010 release of “My Girl,” a duet with his older cousin Daniel Bambaata Marley that was produced by his father and released on the Marley family’s imprint record label Ghetto Youths International, Joseph made his official musical debut.

This was followed by the ground-breaking song “Bad So” in 2012, and his debut EP, Comfortable, was released the following year.

Along with Jesse Royal, Alborosie, Farruko, Jemere Morgan, Barbara Fialho, the Grandpickneys, and Morgan Heritage, Joseph collaborated with them all. In 2015, he appeared on Morgan Heritage’s Grammy-winning album Strictly Roots.

However, he naturally frequently recorded with his vast and talented family. Damian and Stephen Marley produced Comfortable, and Joseph appeared on his father’s 2016 album, Revelation, Pt. 2: The Fruit of Life.

Moreover, he collaborated with his younger brother Yohan Marley on the song “Burn It Down” that same year, and they did it again in 2020 for the song “Brickell (When Tears Fall),” which was inspired by their chosen home of Miami.