KINGSTON, Jamaica – Fantan Mojah, a 49-year-old Jamaican reggae musician, has passed away three weeks before turning 50.
According to reports, the Rastafarian firebrand died on the evening of Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston due to heart-related issues.
Fantan’s close friend told Observer Online that the performer’s health rapidly declined in the final days of his life.
“Since he came back from the United States, he was hearty, but over the past week he started to ‘tek down’, and he was admitted to the UHWI,” booking agent Vertex said. “Last night, he was vomiting blood, and that was it. He passed away.”
Fantan Mojah’s last moments on earth
According to reports, Fantan Mojah was getting ready to perform at Germany’s Reggae Jam Festival this year. The source claimed that the engagement’s Schengen permits had just been granted.
The artist had major health issues in the past few years. It is said that he is the father of at least five children. He was apparently rapidly declining while staying with friends in Portmore in the days leading up to his death and was unable to exert himself too much.
He was admitted to the hospital in Martinique in July 2024 due to breathing problems and chest tightness. According to accounts at the time, his heart was only operating at about 15% of its potential.
However, the vocalist seemed to be getting better by the beginning of 2025. His improvement was reportedly promising by the media, and he eventually went back on tour throughout Europe.
Inside Fantan Mojah’s musical empire
With albums that combined Rastafarian teachings, social commentary, and emotional intensity, Fantan Mojah—known for his forceful delivery and spiritually charged reggae songs—built a devoted fanbase.
There were no immediate details available on his alleged demise. Fantan’s career in music took off. When he met Joe Bogdanovich, the head of Downsound Records, his life significantly transformed from that of a simple window washer.
“When I met him as a kid, he was a window washer,” Bogdanovich said in an interview years ago. “We got into a conversation that ended up with me recording him, and I made some really, really big records with him.”
Fantan Mojah ventures into music career
Before meeting Bogdanovich, the singer, whose true name was Owen Moncrieffe, had made multiple attempts to enter the business. During his time in school, he participated in talent competitions in and around his St. Elizabeth base under the name Mad Killer.
Before making his recording debut in 1997 with When I Rise for producer Tristan Palmer, Mojah worked as a handyman for the Kilimanjaro sound system.
He later recorded the groundbreaking Hail the King album at Downsound in 2005. That year marked the end of his tenure at the label and the beginning of an intermittent relationship with Bogdanovich.
While working at DownSound Records, Fantan recorded the popular song “Nuh Build Great Men”. He recorded Stronger and Rasta Got Soul—possibly his most well-known song—after leaving DownSound Records, honouring Rastafarian spirituality and cultural heritage.
Discussion about this post