Lauryn Hill Husband: Rohan Marley’s Connection to Bob Marley and YG Marley

You know that feeling when you’re trying to piece together a celebrity family tree and it gets more tangled than your earphones?

Yeah, that’s what happens when you try to map out the connections between Lauryn Hill, Rohan Marley, Bob Marley, and their super-talented son YG Marley.

Here’s the thing that makes it all click: Rohan Marley is Bob Marley’s son. That’s the golden thread connecting three generations of music royalty. But there’s way more to this story than just a famous last name. We’re talking about a relationship that brought five kids into the world, a legacy that spans reggae and hip-hop, and a young artist who just hit number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his debut single.

I’m going to walk you through the whole story, from how Rohan and Lauryn met in 1996 to why their son Joshua (who goes by YG Marley) is now making waves in music. You’ll get the real story about their relationship, their kids, and how this family keeps Bob Marley’s spirit alive in 2025.

Key Takeaways

• Rohan Marley, born in 1972, is the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and Janet Hunt, later raised by his grandmother Cedella Booker.
• Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley started dating in 1996 and had five children: Zion David (1997), Selah Louise (1998), Joshua Omaru, known as YG Marley (2001), John Nesta (2003), and Sara (2008).
• The couple never officially married and separated around 2008 due to living apart for long stretches and lifestyle differences, but they continue to co-parent successfully.
• Their son YG Marley released “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” in December 2023, which peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number one in New Zealand, becoming the first reggae song to chart in the U.S. in seven years.
• The family legacy connects three generations: Bob Marley’s reggae revolution, Rohan’s entrepreneurial ventures including Marley Coffee (which reached $10 million in annual sales), and YG Marley’s modern blend of reggae and R&B.

Rohan Marley’s Family Background and Legacy

Rohan Marley was born on May 19, 1972, in Kingston, Jamaica. His father is Bob Marley, and his mother is Janet Hunt, who was just sixteen years old at the time. After Bob’s death from cancer in 1981, young Rohan moved to live with his paternal grandmother, Cedella Booker, who helped raise him.

The Marley name carries serious weight in music history. Bob Marley’s greatest hits album, Legend, originally released in 1984, hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2014, more than 30 years after his death. That kind of staying power shows you just how massive his influence remains.

Who is Rohan Marley in relation to Bob Marley?

Rohan is Bob Marley’s son. Simple as that.

But being Bob’s son meant growing up with huge expectations. Bob Marley helped shape reggae music and Caribbean culture on a global scale. He wasn’t just making songs; he was spreading messages of unity, love, and social justice that still resonate today.

Rohan grew up surrounded by this legacy. He attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School in Florida, graduating in 1991, then played linebacker for the University of Miami football team. Sports, not music, was his first passion.

How did Bob Marley’s legacy influence Rohan Marley’s life?

Bob Marley’s fame has shaped every chapter of Rohan’s life. People see him as “Bob Marley’s son” before anything else. Even publications like Rolling Stone introduce him this way, keeping that connection front and center.

That legacy brought both opportunity and pressure. Rohan initially dreamed of playing professional soccer for Jamaica. He even played for the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Rough Riders in the mid-1990s. But after an injury, his brother Ziggy gave him an ultimatum: “What do you wanna do? Business or football?”

At 31 years old, Rohan chose business. That decision led him to co-found Marley Coffee in 2009, an organic coffee company based on a 52-acre estate in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. It took him eight years just to get the export licenses and organic certifications, but he stuck with it. By 2014, the company had grown to $10 million in annual sales.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rohan’s business ventures have helped him build an estimated net worth of $20 million as of 2024.

Beyond coffee, Rohan expanded the family brand through House of Marley (eco-friendly audio products), Tuff Gong Clothing, and his cannabis company Lion Order based in Detroit, Michigan. He also runs the family’s charitable organization called 1Love and operates RoMarley Beach House, a beachside hotel in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.

Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley’s Relationship

Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley’s story began in 1996. She was riding high from her success with the Fugees, and he was a former football player finding his way after sports. Their relationship lasted about 13 years, producing five children together.

What is the history of Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley’s partnership and family?

The couple met in 1996 and immediately hit it off. Their first son, Zion David, was born in 1997, right when Lauryn was at the peak of her Fugees fame. She actually recorded her groundbreaking album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” while pregnant with Zion.

“That song is about the revelation that my son was to me,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1998 about the track “To Zion.” “It was really the first decision that was unpopular for me, and it was the best decision that I could have ever made.”

Here’s the timeline of their five children:

• Zion David Marley (born 1997): Their eldest son, now a father himself with two children, Zephaniah Nesta and Azariah Genesis
• Selah Louise Marley (born November 12, 1998): A successful model who’s walked runways for Chanel, Calvin Klein, and appeared in major fashion campaigns
• Joshua Omaru Marley, known as YG Marley (born December 5, 2001): Singer-songwriter who released his breakout hit in late 2023
• John Nesta Marley (born 2003): Currently attending St. John’s University, where he’s excelling academically with 100% test scores in business law
• Sara Marley (born 2008): The youngest of the five, who celebrated her Sweet 16 in 2024 with a Great Gatsby-themed party

Lauryn and Rohan never officially married, though she sometimes referred to him as her husband. They built their family between New Jersey and Jamaica, balancing her music career with his business ventures.

What challenges led to their separation despite their strong bond?

Distance killed what they had built. The couple lived apart for huge chunks of their relationship. Lauryn was touring as one of the most celebrated musicians of her generation, while Rohan was launching his coffee business in Jamaica and managing other ventures.

According to reports, they split around 2008. In a 2011 interview, Rohan explained: “As a man, there are certain things I don’t accept. And it just so happened that I didn’t accept certain things. It doesn’t mean she’s a bad person, or I’m a bad person, it just didn’t work out.”

The separation got complicated when Lauryn gave birth to her sixth child, Micah Hill, in July 2011. Rohan publicly clarified through social media that he was not Micah’s father, though he maintained respect for Lauryn. She later confirmed this in a statement, saying: “We have had long periods of separation over the years but our five children together remain a joy to both of us.”

Despite the drama and public speculation (including comments from Wyclef Jean about the Fugees breakup being tied to his relationship with Lauryn), Rohan and Lauryn have successfully co-parented. In 2013, Rohan even took temporary custody of their five children while Hill served a three-month prison sentence for tax evasion.

In a 2022 interview on the We In Miami Podcast, Rohan praised Lauryn’s parenting: “She is fantastic. She lets her children live and be themselves. That’s what I love. I like her ideology as a person.”

YG Marley: The Musical Journey of Their Son

Joshua Omaru Marley was born on December 5, 2001, in Beverly Hills, California. He goes by the stage name YG Marley, and in late 2023, he became the breakout star this musical family had been waiting for.

Who is Joshua Omaru (YG Marley) and what is his music career like?

YG Marley grew up watching his mom perform and learning the craft from both sides of his family. At just nine years old, he announced “I wanna rap” during a 2012 Lauryn Hill concert. That wasn’t just a kid being cute. He meant it.

His debut single “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” dropped on December 27, 2023. The song was co-written with his mother and samples Bob Marley & The Wailers’ 1978 track “Crisis.” Before the official release, YG performed the song at several stops on Lauryn’s “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour” in late 2023.

Videos of those performances went viral on TikTok. Fans started a grassroots campaign demanding an official release. When the song finally hit streaming platforms, it exploded.

Here’s how successful YG Marley’s debut became:

The song’s success made YG Marley the sixth member of the Marley family to enter the Billboard Hot 100. A music video directed by Cole Bennett launched on Lyrical Lemonade’s YouTube channel on April 20, 2024, featuring a cameo from Lauryn Hill.

Since then, YG has kept building his career. He performed at Coachella 2024 with his mother, appeared on The Tonight Show in May 2024 to perform two songs with her, and collaborated with artists like Busta Rhymes, Chloe Bailey, and African singer Davido on the 2024 single “Awuke.”

How does YG Marley connect to Lauryn Hill’s and Bob Marley’s musical heritage?

YG Marley stands at the perfect crossroads. His voice carries hints of Bob Marley’s weathered timbre, while his perceptive lyrics echo his mother’s storytelling style. Apple Music described his sound as reggae infused with “hints of modern R&B” through his vocal runs and creative rhyme patterns.

The connection to Bob goes beyond genetics. “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” samples “Crisis,” but it also carries Bob’s message of unity and hope. The song starts with Bob’s voice: “They say the sun will shine for all, but in some people world it never shines at all.” YG then builds on that foundation with lyrics about freedom and staying true to yourself.

From Lauryn’s side, he inherited her hip-hop sensibilities. She was the first woman to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album and remains the most Grammy-awarded female rapper. YG grew up hearing classics like “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and “Ready or Not” from the Fugees, and that influence shows in how he structures his verses.

In a 2024 interview, music critics noted that YG’s approach feels both nostalgic and fresh. He’s not trying to copy either Bob or Lauryn. He’s taking what they gave him and creating something new for his generation.

The Marley Children: Carrying the Legacy Forward

Lauryn and Rohan’s five children have each found their own path, though music and creativity run through all of them.

Zion David Marley

Zion, born in 1997, inspired one of Lauryn Hill’s most personal songs. He keeps a relatively low profile compared to his siblings but has embraced fatherhood. He has two children with his longtime partner Tania: son Zephaniah Nesta and daughter Azariah Genesis, making Rohan and Lauryn grandparents.

Selah Louise Marley

Selah launched her modeling career in 2011 at just 13 years old with a feature in Teen Vogue. She’s now worked with some of the biggest names in fashion.

Her modeling resume includes:

• Runway shows for Chanel, Calvin Klein, Telfar, Pyer Moss, and Kanye West’s Adidas Yeezy line
• Magazine covers and features in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair, CR Fashion Book, and Vogue Arabia
• Brand campaigns for Converse, Michael Kors, Dior, and Ivy Park
• Brand ambassador for Chanel’s “Chance” fragrance

But modeling isn’t her only passion. “Music is my biggest passion,” she told W Magazine in 2017. She’s released singles including “SLICK” in 2024 and “24HRS” in 2021, and collaborated with YG on the track “Slick.”

Selah attended Columbia High School in New Jersey, then studied at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, concentrating on science, comparative religion, and philosophy.

John Nesta and Sara Marley

John Nesta, born in 2003, is excelling academically at St. John’s University. Rohan proudly shared screenshots of John’s perfect test scores in business law, crediting Lauryn for keeping things “A class, literally.”

Sara, the youngest at 16, celebrated her Sweet 16 in 2024 with a Great Gatsby-themed party where she wore a beaded gown by designer Galia Lahav. She’s already joined her mother on tour and has become active on social media, sharing glimpses of her life with the family.

Rohan Marley’s Life Beyond the Relationship

After separating from Lauryn, Rohan continued building his business empire and expanding his family. He briefly got engaged to Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana in early 2013, but they split later that year.

In March 2019, Rohan married Brazilian model Barbara Fialho in her hometown of Montes Claros, Brazil, where he sang his father’s hit “One Love” at the ceremony. The couple welcomed daughter Maria before eventually separating.

According to a 2025 interview on the All the Smoke podcast, Rohan revealed he has a total of 12 children and 9 grandchildren, calling them “the most joyful thing in life.”

Takeaways

Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley’s relationship created something bigger than either of them expected. Their five children carry a legacy that stretches from Bob Marley’s reggae revolution in the 1970s to YG Marley’s chart-topping debut in 2023.

Even though Lauryn and Rohan parted ways back in 2008, they’ve shown that co-parenting can work when both people put their kids first. Their children are thriving in music, fashion, academics, and business. The story proves that family connections don’t end with separation. Sometimes they just evolve into something different.

Music definitely lives on through every note YG sings, every runway Selah walks, and every business venture Rohan launches. The Marley name keeps growing, one generation teaching the next how to honor the past while creating something fresh for the future.

FAQs

1. Was Lauryn Hill married to Rohan Marley?

Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley were in a long-term relationship from 1996 to 2009 but never legally married, though Lauryn sometimes referred to him as her husband. Despite long periods of separation, they have remained focused on co-parenting their children.

2. How is Rohan Marley connected to Bob Marley?

Rohan Marley is the son of legendary reggae musician Bob Marley and Janet Hunt. After his father passed away, Rohan was raised by his paternal grandmother, Cedella Booker, deepening his relationship with Bob Marley’s legacy.

3. When did Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley start dating?

The relationship began in 1996, the same year the Fugees released the classic album “The Score,” which featured the hit “Ready or Not.” This followed Lauryn’s notable appearance in the 1993 film “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” which helped establish her as one of the rising musicians of her generation.

4. How many children do Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley have together?

They share five children: Zion David, Selah Louise, Joshua Omaru (who performs as YG Marley), John Nesta, and Sarah.

5. Did Lauryn Hill work with other famous artists?

Yes, she collaborated with major stars, co-writing and producing the song “A Rose Is Still a Rose” for Aretha Franklin and “All That I Can Say” for Mary J. Blige. Her duet “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” with rapper Nas is a hip-hop classic, and she later faced a three-month prison sentence in 2013 for tax evasion.