RiffBlog

What Happened To Dj Merciless? Jamaican Artist Found Dead In Hotel Room

Jamaican Dancehall artist and entertainer DJ Merciless was found dead at 51 in a hotel room near Lyndhurst Road in St Andrews earlier today.

On July 1, 1971, Leonard Bartley was born in the turner district of Chapelton, Clarendon, Jamaica. The young Bartley quickly became enamored with sound systems, which in Jamaica is a group of disc jockeys, engineers, and MCs who play ska, rocksteady, and reggae music.

In 1994, Bartley became Merciless and recorded his debut called Lend Out Mi Mercy, a hit both inside Jamaica and in other pare world. He followed up this and hit with others like Mavis, the top reggae single in Jamaica in 1995. 

As the 90s wound down, Merciless became more conscious in his lyrical content in the same vein as a fellow artist and rival Bounty Killer, with whom he engaged in many rap battles. Merciless served fourteen months behind bars in Florida.

What Happened To DJ Merciless?

DJ Merciless was found dead in a Kingston hotel room.

Merciless's driver found him face down on the bed when he came to the hotel to pick him up around 4:30 in the afternoon. Following this discovery, the driver called the necessary authorities.

Efforts were then made to revive the dancehall artists, but they were all unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead shortly after he was found. Various sources at the scene claim it was a possible heart attack.

[image-1]

The news of his death shocked the Jamaican music community and the world as Merciless was a well-regarded fixture in the Jamaican music scene. Known as a talented homegrown legend, Merciless's loss was grieved by all online. 

Twitter erupted with the news of Merciless's demise as many fans talked about how much of a shock his death was and what his music meant to them. Some even decided to play his music to commemorate the late artist's life.

Videos and stories of the late artist's exploits and achievements are being spread all over Twitter as the world mourns.

Was DJ Merciless Married?

DJ Merciless was married to Keisha Gibbs-Bartley.

Sadly, Keisha Gibbs-Bartley was found dead at 41 in April 2015. Initially ruled as a suicide due to an opened pill bottle found near her person when she passed away, authorities ruled that she died of a heart attack.

Merciless found his wife's body on their bed, unresponsive when he was returning from a dance with fellow entertainer Little Hero. Before this, neighbors shared that Miss Gibbs was seen in distress, but the neighbors could not get inside the house.  

Following her death, Merciless hosted a nine-night at their home in Longville Park, Clarendon, in her honor.

Merciless did not marry following her death and slowly shied out of public life. His social media presence grew lesser and lesser, and he had not been on the news for years before his passing.

It is through a sad twist of fate that the same predicament that took his wife's life would also be the reason for his death.

DJ Merciless Net Worth 2022

Merciless held a net worth of $1.5 million at the time of his passing.

Although Merciless could not replicate his success in the 90s in the 2000s, he was still very active in the Jamaican music scene. His battles with fellow DJs like Beenie Man and Ninjaman were highly publicized, and he had a hit called No One Cares with rival Bounty Killer in 2000.

Merciless performed frequently, and one of the ways his fans are paying tribute to the Dancehall artist is by sharing videos of his eclectic and energetic performance videos.

ncG1vNJzZmirmKTEo7XZnKarppWne6S7zGiuoZmkYrWivM%2BepZ6cXam8brDJZqSeqpOeuaa%2F0mahmqWRnrCiuoyaqa2ho6l6p7vUp5tmnJWWsW61zWafqKyVoXqzu86m

Abbie Anker

Update: 2024-05-20