Jo Mersa Marley: 5 Essential Tracks

Jo Mersa Marley’s untimely passing robbed Reggae music of an artist who was set on walking his own path. It’s hard enough for anyone bearing the Marley name – who finds themselves behind a mic – to escape the gravity of that legacy, but Jo Mersa tried his utmost. The son of Stephen and Kerry-Ann Marley, Jo Mersa passed away at the age of 31 in the United States on December 27 last year.

Here are five songs that highlight what was Marley’s rather promising career.

Burn It Down ft. Yohan Marley

Channeling the fiery rebel spirit synonymous with the Marley name, Jo Mersa tapped his cousin Yohan Marley for this anti-establishment track, released on May 6, 2019. The song is a thoughtful interrogation of the status quo, and sees Jo Mersa placing himself at the chaotic point of collision between ideals and reality. He champions the need for change as a soldier for his ideals, and points squarely at corruption and greed with a fierce conviction to “burn them entirely to the ground”.

Sung on a high energy, up-tempo Reggae beat that at times carried hints of Hip-Hop, Jo Mersa stood his ground, announcing both his talent and his zeal as a Reggae artist with big shoes to fill. The track was produced by family-owned Ghetto Youths International – a label founded by Stephen and Ziggy Marley.

Made It ft. Kabaka Pyramid

Jo Mersa and Kabaka Pyramid took the dream of the working class as the springboard for this 2021 feel-good, evocative party-rocker. The duo tapped into the oft-fantasized trope of quitting one’s job after ‘making it’, and delivered a groovy track that gets you dancing and gets you smiling. The track invites you in with a warm, slightly up-tempo beat, and commands your rapt attention as Jo Mersa reels off lyrics that spotlight his depression, handling people’s initial disappointment at not being a fan of his music, and his own aspirations that simultaneously drove and burdened him.

Kabaka also shines on the track, complementing Mersa’s heavier themes with his own about gratitude and happiness at living the life he wants. The Bombocat, Silent Addy and Ghetto Youths International-produced track is the fourth song to be found on Jo Mersa’s seven-track EP, Eternal.

Yo Dawg ft. Busy Signal

Dancehall veteran Busy Signal’s presence on Yo Dawg seemed a crucial ingredient to Jo Mersa’s flawless delivery on this track. As a Reggae artist, Mersa reaffirmed his depth and flexibility by effortlessly meeting the challenge of a track that seemed tailor-made for Busy Signal – one of the masters of cadence in Dancehall. Yo Dawg is a light, lyrical flex by the two artists who seemed bent on reminding their listeners that they still have “it” going on.

Busy Signal was his usual self with his clever lyrics and catchy flow, but it was Mersa who delivered the punch on the track, infusing his own style that seemed a Frankenstein’s Monster of all the good things about the performance chops of the Marleys before him. This 2021 track was produced by Jazzwad and the label Marley was signed to – Ghetto Youths International.

Rock and Swing 

 Trumpets, the pulsing and insistent strum of the bass guitar, and the reverberant sound of the drums to kickstart this soulful track meant one thing – Jo Mersa was in his bag on Rock and Swing. The song, which has all the markers of an old school Reggae song – akin to ones his great grandfather would make, is a lyrical adventure. It dives into the intersection of poverty and politics, corruption, and crime, and delivers a reasonable alternative in impressive fashion. Mersa speaks about raising the ‘ghetto standard’, and envisions a life where people ravaged by poverty finally get a taste of the struggle-free life.

The track, which comes off Mersa’s Comfortable EP (2014), and is produced by Stephen Marley, Llamar Brown and Jo Mersa himself.

Hurting Inside

Released in 2018, Hurting Inside documented Jo Mersa’s struggle in his pursuit for happiness. Produced by Ghetto Youths International, the song stands as honest and rare storytelling of the gradual loss of happiness and the importance of never abandoning your search for it. Laid on an upbeat soundtrack that somehow makes room for the song’s introspective vibe, Hurting Inside enjoys a performance from

Mersa that is awfully reminiscent of his grandfather’s style, vocal imprint and melodic charm. Striking a delicate balance of originality, while delivering in a familiar way that can only be described as Marley-esque, Jo Mersa struck a chord that resonated with Reggae lovers all over the world.