Shenseea Leads Jamaica Relief Effort After Hurricane Melissa

Key Takeaways

• Shenseea returned to her hometown to lead one of the largest artist-led hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica.
• Her team distributed food, water, hygiene kits, and shelter supplies to families affected by Hurricane Melissa.
• She emphasized her personal responsibility to support her community, highlighting her deep ties to Jamaica.

Shenseea is stepping up for Jamaica in a major way following the devastation left behind by Hurricane Melissa. The storm landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope back in October as an “extremely dangerous” Category 5 system with sustained winds of 185 mph — tying the strongest landfall ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It ranks among the most powerful hurricanes in Atlantic history in both wind strength and pressure, leaving entire communities across the island facing urgent shortages of food, water, and shelter.

The dancehall star launched one of the largest artist-led relief efforts on the island, returning to her hometown of St. Elizabeth over the weekend to personally fund, pack, and distribute more than 5,000 relief packages. She spent hours on the ground with her team organizing thousands of pounds of rice, flour, cornmeal, canned food, diapers, hygiene items, water, tarps, tents, and generators sourced from Restaurant Depot, Sam’s Club, Uline, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. More distributions are set to roll out across the island in the coming days, according to a press release.

For Shenseea, this wasn’t just a celebrity gesture — it was personal. “Jamaica raised me, and whenever my country is hurting, I feel it deeply,” she said in the release. “I wanted to act quickly and give families what they need right now: food, clean water, shelter, and basic essentials. This is home, and I’ll always show up for my people.”

The 29-year-old echoed that sentiment on Instagram, where she shared clips of destroyed homes and videos from her relief mission. “This week was tough but fulfilling, seeing how resilient my people are and reflecting on how God has blessed me to be in a position where I can share my blessings with them,” she wrote. “My heart and prayers go out to the ones I couldn’t reach. Thanks to every volunteer and members of the force who helped me to execute my project in the safest way possible.”

This moment adds to a standout run for “The Sidechick Song” hitmaker. Her sophomore album, Never Gets Late Here, debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart. She also earned a Grammy nomination, scored a No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart with the “Shake It To The Max” remix, appeared on Mariah Carey’s latest album with “Sugar Sweet,” and rolled out her empowering single “BOSS UP.” Even with global momentum behind her, she continues to make sure Jamaica comes first.