Zion David Marley, whose last name is enough to give the youngster street cred, has his name eternalized in one of the key tracks off Lauryn Hill's critically acclaimed debut album.
Bob Marley's grandson, Zion David Marley, was born into a family of legendary performers, athletes, and entrepreneurs. He became a father himself at a young age.
He is a deeply religious and spiritual man with a strong commitment to uplifting his community. The young Leo did not become a musician like his grandpa.
Young Zion Is Already a Father
Hill faced a tough decision when she fell unexpectedly pregnant with her first child with longtime on-again-off-again partner Rohan Marley.
She wrote about the voices advising her to give up her baby for the sake of her career and the angels who told her she had a boy child in "To Zion" on the album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."
The Grammy Award winner gave birth to the "joy of her world," Zion, on August 3, 1997. The singer had four more children with the former football player.
Lauryn Hill (C) with her sons John Marley (L) and Zion Marley (R) at The Ballroom on May 26, 2015, in West Orange, New Jersey. | Source: Getty Images
With Zion's impressive lineage, even his senior prom was widely reported in 2015. He wore an off-white suit, a blue button open-necked button-down blue shirt, and sockless blue loafers.
Rohan proudly shared photos of the "responsible young man" and his date in a white gown posing beside their ride for the evening, a Rolls Royce.
Zion sent a message to the Twitterverse through his father during a time of great turmoil in America in May 2020: "If trauma can be passed down through generations, then so can healing."
Zion became a father with an unnamed girlfriend when he was 19. Delighted grandfather Rohan announced the news of Zephaniah's birth in a February 19, 2017 tweet that included a bible verse from Zephaniah 3:16.
Zion feels deeply connected to the song his mom wrote about him.
The new dad said on his own social media platform that he does everything for his son. He has scrubbed all photos of his son from his socials and protects him from the limelight.
Zion Marley Has a Legendary Last Name
Zion is the grandson of the late reggae pioneer Bob Marley, who died of cancer on May 11, 1981. Before his untimely death, he had eleven children with seven partners.
Janet Hunt gave birth to the singer's seventh child, Rohan, on May 19, 1972, in Jamaica. He played college football for the University of Miami and continued his professional career with the Ottawa Rough Riders in Canada.
The former athlete started a clothing line, Tuff Gong and Marley Coffee, based in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. In addition to his kids with Hill, he has two children with his first wife, Geraldine Khawly, and a daughter with his second wife, Brazilian model Barbara Fialho.
Lauryn Hill is the soulful, husky voice behind the hit "Killing Me Softly," off the commercial and critical second album, "The Score," of her hip-hop group, Fugees. She wrote and produced her chart-topping solo album, "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill," in 1997.
Her eldest son Zion feels deeply connected to the song his mom wrote about him. In October 2022, he shared a snippet of the lyrics of "To Zion" and thanked his mother:
"I pray I never let you down! My purpose is only getting clearer. "
Lauryn Hill, Rohan Marley and family pose backstage at "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" on Broadway at The Foxwoods Theater on June 28, 2011 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Zion Has a Bunch of Siblings
Hill and Rohan never married but formed a lasting connection by having five children: Zion, Selah, Joshua, John, and Sara. Hill gave birth to her sixth child, Micah, in July 2011, whose paternity has never been revealed and goes by her last name.
Rohan has three other children, which means Zion has eight siblings. He seems close to his older half-brother, Nico Marley. He shared a throwback photo of them hanging out at Kaya Fest 2019, where many of their family members performed.
Nico played football at Tulane University on scholarship. His 5' 8" frame meant he was small for a linebacker, but his determination made him a notable player for the Tulane Green Wave and briefly for the Washington Commanders. He founded the hemp oil business Lion X CBD.
Hill's eldest daughter, Selah, followed her into the music industry. She has also done modeling campaigns for Beyoncé's Ivy Park and Dior and has been featured in Vogue.
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