November 5, 2025
Shaggy organized the use of private planes to deliver relief aid to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Reggae and dancehall star Shaggy quickly joined forces with key organizations to deliver relief aid to his native Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa’s devastation.
Although the Grammy-winning artist was at his second home in Miami when Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 storm, the strongest ever to hit the island, he immediately began mobilizing relief efforts, Rolling Stone reports. Anticipating the storm’s impact, Shaggy, real name Orville Richard Burrell, reached out to friends like Florida injury attorney Dan Newlin and the U.S.-based Jamaican charity Food for the Poor, with whom he’s long partnered, to coordinate relief efforts once airports reopened.
“When we realized that it was a Category 5, that we knew there was going to be a lot of destruction,” Shaggy said. “We have survived through [Hurricane] Gilbert, which was a Category 3, and that was devastating as is. So what we decided was to be ahead of the curve. I really couldn’t do as much at that time because the airport wasn’t open.”
Days after the storm, Shaggy shared videos from a small jet packed with water, canned goods, paper towels, and other essentials. Since then, he’s organized four relief flights from the U.S. to Kingston, each carrying much-needed supplies.
“We also have the bay of the plane filled with supplies,” he said in one video. “I’m asking everybody to help and make sure you donate.”
Partnering with Newlin was an easy decision for Shaggy; the two had collaborated before, and the Kingston native knew Newlin could provide access to private planes. Next came collecting supplies and coordinating with his wife, Rebecca Packer, who was already on the ground in Jamaica and ready to assist.
“We made a list of things we’re going to buy. We made calls. We loaded up the planes and came back down to Jamaica,” Shaggy explained. “As soon as [the airport] opened [on Oct. 30], that very morning, we left. Then once I got here, we got in touch with Sharon Burke from the Solid Agency, and of course, my wife – she was on the ground because she rode the hurricane out [from Kingston]. She was the first actually [to get to] Black River and told us what to expect.”
The “Angel” singer said he’s concentrating his relief efforts in the Black River and St. Elizabeth areas, which suffered severe damage from the storm but haven’t received the same attention as Montego Bay. Shaggy said witnessing the community unite to rebuild and recover is a true testament to the resilience and spirit of Jamaicans.
“One thing about Jamaicans, we’re resilient and we’re all gathering,” he said. “Even going down yesterday, there were people from the neighborhood that were clearing the roads for us and helping us to get in. They all helped us to organize in Black River. The community is also assisting us.”
RELATED CONTENT: The Unspoken Divide: Morayo Afolabi-Brown Reveals Nigerian Parents’ U.S. Directives That Encourage Division With Black Americans
