Busta Rhymes, Tyrese Gibson deliver supplies to Jamaica to aid in post-Hurricane Melissa recovery

(NEW YORK) -- Celebrities are dedicating their voices, time and talents to helping the island of Jamaica recover from one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever make landfall in the Atlantic basin.

On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph. The monster storm then swept across western Jamaica, bringing catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge throughout the island.

The destruction left in Melissa's wake was extensive and widespread. Dozens of people were killed. Entire communities were either demolished or isolated from the direct hit. Power and water was cut off for much nearly 500,000 people. Debris and floodwaters littered roadways.

Officials made clear that the rebuilding process -- still not complete from Hurricane Beryl's impact in 2024 -- would be lengthy. When prominent members of the entertainment industry got word of the devastation, they rallied to be of service.

"When I finally connected with some of my folks on the ground there, and they relayed the devastation ... it definitely mobilized, for me personally, that I have to get boots on the ground to help," Mona Scott-Young, famed producer of the "Love and Hip Hop" series, told ABC News.

On Monday, Scott-Young, along with rapper Busta Rhymes and actor and R&B singer Tyrese Gibson, flew to the island aboard a cargo plane filled with supplies.

Upon touching down, they immediately got to work -- coordinating where the assistance was needed, getting their hands dirty and even using the gifts that made them famous to raise spirits within the community.

In Norwood, a community in St. James, Rhymes helped to rebuild a roof on a school, putting nails into the wood himself. In the underserved community of Flankers, Rhymes held an impromptu performance. A soccer game was also organized for the kids.

Over the multi-day mission trip, the aim was to lift spirits but also help those affected to gain a sense of normalcy.

"The spirit of the people of Jamaica is still there -- just as strong," Gibson said.

They worked with nonprofits such as Helping Hand for Relief and Development and the GrassROOTS Community Foundation, as well as local groups -- a collective of people and organizations who love Jamaica.

Scott-Young "led the charge" and was instrumental in helping to organize such a large relief effort, Rhymes said.

Monday marked the second trip for Scott-Young and Gibson, who were on the ground in Jamaica within two weeks after Melissa battered the island.

They knew that once the hurricane passed, it wouldn't be long before the public's focus was no longer on Jamaica.

"We knew that people's attention span towards the people of Jamaica was gonna be as short as it is on Instagram," Gibson said.  

During the first trip, Scott-Young and Gibson helped to survey the landscape and assess the needs of the island, Gibson said.

When the pair arrived in Flankers, a neighborhood in Montego Bay, they came across a medical center that had no medicine.

That's when they realized they needed to step up their efforts. Once Rhymes became involved, the scale of the project multiplied exponentially, Gibson said. While they brought about a half a pallet of supplies on the initial trip, they were equipped with more than 50 pallets this week due to Rhymes's far-reaching influence, Gibson said.

It was "incredibly gratifying" for the group to show up to the bare medical center with medicine, diapers and other provisions needed to care for the community, Scott-Young said.

Each has a direct connection to the island, they said.

Rhymes is Jamaican and has family and friends -- many of whom he grew up with -- who were affected by the hurricane.

"My whole family is Jamaican," Rhymes said. "Everything about Busta Rhymes that y'all have known to grow and love was bought up and raised in a Jamaican household."

Scott-Young, who is from Haiti, felt an interconnectedness with another Caribbean nation, especially as a regular vacation spot for her family, but also knows personally knows people who have lost everything. Gibson has a close family friend who is Jamaican and said he feels a closeness to the culture and its people.

What they witnessed has changed them forever and inspired them to do more, they said.

"This was exactly what God asked me to do," Gibson said.

The island is still in a state of devastation. People are sleeping on the ground under tarps, Scott-Young said. Basic necessities, including communication and WiFi, are not yet up and running. Diseases are starting to spread, as is a growing rodent problem.

Many communities, especially those on the hillsides, "have not been touched," Gibson said. They still don't have water, electricity or any significant aid because the focus is primarily on the epicenter, where the hurricane hit the hardest, Scott-Young said.

Future efforts will especially be focused on reaching the communities in the surrounding areas that have not been the priority over the past six weeks.

The three are already planning more trips to Jamaica and enlisting the assistance of other celebrities connected to the island. Rhymes commended artists Shaggy and Sean Paul, who are both Jamaican, on their endeavors to help their home island as well.

"We're gonna continue to do our part," Gibson said. "...The tragedy is not over."

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