Dancehall deejay Merciless, born Leonard Bartley, passed away on Tuesday, July 19 at the age of 51.

The artiste, who hailed from Chapelton in Clarendon, made his recording debut in 1994 with ‘Lend Out Mi Mercy’. He followed up that hit with fan faves like ‘Gal Dem Gizzada’, the gastro-culinary ode ‘Mama Cooking’, the boastful ‘Ole Gallis’, ‘Mavis’ (released on Shaggy’s Boombastic rhythm), the Dave Kelly-produced ‘Let Them Have It’ and ‘Mr Whodini’.

READ: Merciless died of a ‘broken heart’ says longtime manager

Here are 10 more things about the talented deejay’s career below.

1. Merciless served notice on the dancehall scene that he was going to be a force to reckon with when he dropped his first ever single ‘Len out Mi Mercy’ which was unleashed on the Stone Love label in a Stone Love dance at the nightclub, House of Leo. Wee Pow Powell pulled it up nine times the night with the intro “this is going to be an artiste touring places, seeing faces” and he became an instant star.

2. Merciless first met his manager Gadaffi in 1993 when the ‘Warhead’ went to Penthouse studio to record a collaboration with his friend Lenky, called Len Out Mi Mercy. Gadaffi eventually recommended that the song be recorded as a single. Merciless recorded the debut song shirtless in the studio, taking only 20 minutes in Penthouse’s ‘little ‘ studio. The song was ‘re-voiced’ at Mixing Lab on the Sea of Love rhythm. At the time, Dynamic didn’t want to distribute new labels with new artistes so the song was distributed via Stone Love’s label.

3. Merciless received one of his biggest forwards at a Notting Hill Carnival show when he performed ‘Mavis’ with the line ‘gal ah fly all the way from Paris’ for a million-strong crowd in London, England. Busta Rhymes introduced Merciless onstage, and Merciless’ former manager Gadaffi said it was the biggest forward of the artiste’s career. ‘Mavis’ was the top reggae single in Jamaica in 1995. It was released through Dynamic but could not be released internationally because it was on the same rhythm as Shaggy’s ‘Boombastic’.

4. Merciless collaborated with Lady Saw for ‘Baby Mother’ and ‘Long Till It Bend’. He also collaborated with Bounty Killer on ‘No One Cares’, and with Beenie Man on ‘Mama’.

5. He recorded three albums: Mr Merciless (1994), VP Records; Len’ Out Mi Mercy (1995), Annex ; and Mama’s Cooking (1997), Greensleeves Records.

6. Merciless has two children, one of whom is a US-based rapper called Zion.

7. Merciless’ first overseas show was in Bermuda.

8. Merciless was once charged for rape, but the case was eventually dismissed. The artiste’s exoneration was not widely reported by the media.

9. In April 2015, Merciless’ wife was discovered dead in a house in Longville Park, Clarendon. Investigators uncovered empty pill bottles close to the body.

10. Merciless, who is also known as Warhead’, is best known for a legendary clash which took place at Sting 2000 when he annihilated a mighty triumvirate of Ninjaman, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man, turning the tables when they tried to ambush him in a lyrical face-off at the Jamworld Entertainment Complex in Portmore, St Catherine.