Shaggy recalls his relief mission to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
When Hurricane Melissa grew into a Category 5 storm heading directly for Jamaica, musician Shaggy felt compelled to take action, though he wasn’t sure how to begin.
“I don’t know anything about relief and how to prepare for a storm,” said the Grammy-winning reggae artist. “I went to ChatGPT and looked at what we would need in a storm and we just bought that. Luckily, that’s exactly what they needed.”
Orville Richard Burrell, better known by his stage name Shaggy and for hits such as “Boombastic” and “Angel,” was born in Kingston, Jamaica, before moving to New York at 18. Although he was in Miami when the hurricane hit, he still lives in Kingston.
“That’s where the wife, kids and dogs are,” he said. “It’s where I call home.”
Following the deadly October storm that claimed at least 75 lives across the northern Caribbean, the 57-year-old quickly organized relief shipments from Miami to Jamaica and personally distributed them in the hardest-hit regions.
Now, he has dedicated himself to raising awareness about his country's urgent needs.
“It’s urgent to get the word out and make sure people don’t forget,” Shaggy said. “I think Jamaica’s forever changed by this.”
He shared these comments with The Associated Press during an interview in New York City, which was edited for clarity and length.
Author’s Summary
Shaggy described how he responded to Hurricane Melissa’s devastation by organizing and personally delivering aid to Jamaica, emphasizing his deep connection to home and its recovery.