# Merciless (DJ)

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Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist (1971–2022)

**Merciless**, born **Leonard Bartley** (1 July 1971 – 19 July 2022) in the Turner district of [Chapelton](/source/Chapelton%2C_Jamaica), [Clarendon](/source/Clarendon_Parish%2C_Jamaica), Jamaica, was a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist. He died on 19 July 2022, in St. Andrew, Jamaica.[1]

## Biography

Merciless first found success performing with [sound systems](/source/Sound_system_(Jamaican)).[2] He made his recording début in 1994 with "Len 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](/source/Riddim) as [Shaggy](/source/Shaggy_(musician))'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](/source/Bounty_Killer).[3][2] In the late 2000s he was imprisoned in [Florida](/source/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](/source/Beenie_Man), [Ninjaman](/source/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

- *Mr. Merciless* (1994), [VP Records](/source/VP_Records)

- *Len' Out Mi Mercy* (1995), Annex

- *Mama's Cooking* (1997), [Greensleeves Records](/source/Greensleeves_Records)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jamaica_Observer_2022_1-0)** ["Merciless: 10 things to know about Leonard"](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/merciless-10-things-to-know-about-leonard/). *Jamaica Observer*. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Larkin_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Larkin_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Larkin_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Larkin_2-3) Larkin, Colin (1998) *The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae*, Virgin Books, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7535-0242-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7535-0242-9), p. 194

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Campbell_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Campbell_3-1) Campbell, Howard (2009) "[Merciless prepares a 'Letter' for Sting](http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091206/ent/ent5.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100523144025/http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091206/ent/ent5.html) 23 May 2010 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)", *[Jamaica Gleaner](/source/Jamaica_Gleaner)*, 6 December 2009, retrieved 2010-11-04

1. **[^](#cite_ref-JG_4-0)** "[No mercy for Merciless](http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20011228/ent/ent1.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110812004912/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20011228/ent/ent1.html) 12 August 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)", *[Jamaica Gleaner](/source/Jamaica_Gleaner)*, 28 December 2001, retrieved 2010-11-04

1. **[^](#cite_ref-JG2_5-0)** "[Bounty Killer and Merciless record together](http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000806/Ent/Ent4.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110812004919/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000806/Ent/Ent4.html) 12 August 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)", *[Jamaica Gleaner](/source/Jamaica_Gleaner)*, 6 August 2000, retrieved 2010-11-04

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National France BnF data Artists MusicBrainz 2

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merciless (DJ)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merciless_(DJ)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merciless_(DJ)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.