Thousands of fans showed out to bid late dancehall legend Merciless a final farewell.
The clash icon, whose real name is Leonard Bartley, died in July of this year of an apparent heart attack. Merciless’ death left a lot of his peers mourning, including Spragga Benz, who was at his funeral on Saturday at the St Gabriel’s Anglican Church Hall in May Pen, Clarendon. Spragga, who is himself a legend in dancehall, was a close friend of the late deejay. He gave an emotionally moving performance.
“So all a me friends who gone through before I sing, may your spirits rest in peace, rest in eternal peace,” Spragga Benz sings. “And I know that one day we all shall meet and reason pon glory street, but sleep wid angels may your every dream come through, until my likkle heart stop beat, there will always be a place for you.”
Spragga Benz received a huge round of applause from the church congregation for his moving tribute.
“Your memories will flash through my brain like the clear blue sky, some make me happy some make me want cry, oh why what would I be living in this empty space that is so hard to fill, but we affi accept a the almighty will, so we nah watch no face we a carry on still, but we must meet again my friend so until then,” Spragga sings.
Merciless passing left a void in dancehall clash culture, especially with the return of Sting stage show this year. Sources say he was recording new music in the weeks leading up to his death, which means he likely died leaving a catalog of unreleased music.
Merciless, 51, was found dead on July 19 at a hotel in St. Andrew. He was complaining about not feeling well in the hours leading up to his death. While his autopsy remains inconclusive, his former manager believed he died of a broken heart.
