YG Marley, a well-known American singer and songwriter, is following in his parent’s footsteps and continuing his family legacy in music.
Joshua Nesta Marley, popularly known as YG Marley, is the son of Lauryn Hill, one of the greatest rappers of all time, and Jamaican entrepreneur and footballer Rohan Marley.
Furthermore, Marley is the grandson of the legendary reggae singer Bob Marley. Inspired by his grandfather’s music style, YG released his debut single, “Praise Jah in the Moonlight,” on December 25, 2023.
The song is a sample and interpolation of Bob Marley’s “Crisis,” he created with the help of his mother, Lauryn Hill; YG’s song reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and was ranked in the top 10 in the U.K., New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden.
YG Marley has been performing with his mother, Lauryn Hill, since childhood
The 22-year-old singer often joined his mother during her concerts during his childhood.
Born and raised in a family with a strong musical background, Marley developed his passion for music inspired by his mother and grandfather.
Moreover, seeing his mother’s achievements in the music industry, where she became the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, including her hit singles “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready or Not,” encouraged Marley to pursue his career in music.
Reggae singer YG Marley began his musical journey in 2013 by writing his original songs.
Talking about his father, although Rohan Marley is not a singer, music has always been in his genes, and his grandfather, Bob, and his grandmother, Cedella Malcolm, were also well-known Jamaican singers and writers.
Raised in a family with some of the legendary singers, Rohan encouraged and supported his son YG in continuing his family inheritance in music.
Despite having five children and living together, YG Marley’s parents never officially married
YG’s father, Rohan, and mother, Lauryn, met during the summer of 1996 and officially began dating.
The couple gave birth to their first child, Zion David, on August 3, 1997, and then moved into Hill’s childhood house in South Orange.
Furthermore, after the birth of their second child, Selah Louise, YG’s parents struggled to take care of two children while focusing on their careers.
The couple then gave birth to three more children, including YG, John Nesta, and Sara; though they built a family together, they never married.
Lauryn Hill talked about their relationship in various interviews and stated that they had been living apart for most of their relationship, which officially ended in 2009.
She further stated that Rohan had never divorced his first wife, Khawly. However, in response, Rohan showed a divorce paper in 1996.
Although the couple separated, they jointly supported and cared about their children.
Additional Information
- YG Marley was born in Beverly Hills, California, on December 5, 2001. His sister, Selah Marley, is a model, and his half-brother is former NFL player Nico Marley.
- His father, Rohan Marley, was engaged to Isabell Fontana, a Brazilian fashion model, for two years from 2011 to 2013.
- Marley’s father also married model Barbara Fialho in Montes Claros, Brazil, on 23 March 2019, five months before the birth of their daughter Maria. The couple is now divorced.
- His father is also a co-founder of Jammin Java, an organic coffee business established in Jamaica in 2009.
- In July 2011, YG’s mother, Lauryn Hill, gave birth to her sixth child, Micah.
- YG Marley has around 866k followers on Instagram and 442k subscribers on his YouTube channel.
