Merciless (DJ)

Merciless, born Leonard Bartley (July 1, 1971–July 19, 2022) in the Turner district of Chapelton, Clarendon, Jamaica, was a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist. He died on July 19, 2022, in St. Andrew, Jamaica.[1]

Biography

Merciless first found success performing with sound systems.[2] He made his recording début in 1994 with "Lend Out Mi Mercy", which was a hit in Jamaica and elsewhere, and a string of further hits followed, including "Mavis", which was the top reggae single in Jamaica in 1995 and used the same riddim as Shaggy's "Mr. Boombastic".[2] Like several other dancehall stars, he adopted 'conscious' lyrical content in the late 1990s.[2] He is similar in sound to fellow artist Bounty Killer.[3][2] In the late 2000s he was imprisoned in Florida for fourteen months.[3]

He was also known by the nickname "Warhead", and engaged in several high-profile on-stage 'battles' in the late 1990s and 2000s with fellow deejays Beenie Man, Ninjaman, and Bounty Killer.[4] His rivalry with Bounty Killer did not prevent the two from recording together, with "No One Cares" released in 2000.[5]

Discography

References
  1. "Merciless: 10 things to know about Leonard". Jamaica Observer. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  2. Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 194
  3. Campbell, Howard (2009) "Merciless prepares a 'Letter' for Sting Archived 23 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Gleaner, 6 December 2009, retrieved 2010-11-04
  4. "No mercy for Merciless Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Gleaner, 28 December 2001, retrieved 2010-11-04
  5. "Bounty Killer and Merciless record together Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Gleaner, 6 August 2000, retrieved 2010-11-04


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