Like a lot of people, Jo Mersa Marley went into the family business.
And since his grandfather was the legendary Bob Marley, the family business means making music.
Jo Mersa Marley (singing): “Let me call my job and tell them / Find a replacement / ‘Cause I made it / I made it.”
That’s “Made It,” the new single from Jo Mersa Marley’s EP, “Eternal.”
It drops Friday.
The song’s message is universal: Don’t let your day job get in the way of your dreams.
Jo Mersa Marley: “To any and everybody elsewhere it’s just, you know, following your passion, doing what you want. It’s motivation, it’s inspiration.”
He knows what it’s like to keep his eye on the prize, making it in music and punch the clock at the same time.
Jo Mersa Marley: “I’ve done my little fair shares of working here or at a supermarket or at a park, stuff like that. It’s more me saying ‘I feel ya.'”
Jo also drew on his grandfather’s experience at a 9 to 5 job to write “Made It”.
You remember his grandfather, Bob Marley, right?
Bob Marley (singing): “We jammin’/Jammin'”
Jo Mersa Marley: “One of my first thoughts that came to mind was like, ‘How did my grandfather, when he worked at a steel mill in Delaware, how did he call up his job and say I quit?'”
Jo’s never tried to cash in on the family name. He knows he’s had to prove himself as his own man.
Jo Mersa Marley: “I think my uncle Julian said it best. His father wore a different pair of shoes. He can walk along the footsteps, but he can’t follow in the footsteps. He has to set his own path along those footsteps, and I think it’s essential for me to do the same thing.”
As it turns out, Miami has turned out to be the perfect place for Jo.
Jo Mersa Marley: “It’s a vibe. It’s great for someone like me who likes to be in a creative space, a nice environment that allows me to be creative.”
If you want to catch Jo Mersa live, you’re in luck. He’ll be doing a set at The Oasis in Wynwood this Sunday.
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