‘Stay Strong’ - Elephant Man aims to bring hope with hurricane-inspired anthem

Dancehall star Elephant Man is using his voice to bring comfort to his fellow countrymen, telling Jamaicans to 'Stay Strong' despite the misery heaped on the nation by Hurricane Melissa.

His latest single, God Keep Me Covered, captures the pain, prayers, and resilience of a nation struggling to rebuild.

The versatile deejay shared how the concept behind his new single were inspired by the realities of the storm.

"This is natural, coming from the heart," he said.

The high-energy deejay - known for hits like Pon Di River and Signal the Plane - was not in Jamaica when 'Melissa the Miserable', the most powerful storm to hit Jamaica, swept through sections of the island last Tuesday. However, he has been kept abreast of the happenings in his homeland, and admits he has been blown away by the impact of the storm, particularly in western Jamaica.

"Seeing the devastation from this hurricane and what it has done to the parishes, which are the main source of our food, it very bad," Elephant Man said.

Struck by the "raw emotions of people crying, dying and losing everything", he decided to put his thoughts into a song.

"Writing a song like dis a from mi heart," he added.

Elephant Man told THE STAR that God Keep Me Covered is dedicated to his suffering countrymen.

"I want this song to be their go-to song, the song to heal fi people dem heart and mek dem know there's a God and we must not give up hope," he said.

"Mi want it fi warm up dem heart and calm dem dung, and also supm dem can listen to and just mek dem know seh dem nuffi give up and dem fi stay strong," the perennial hitmaker added.

Produced by Kemar 'Billboard King' McGregor, with soulful saxophone melodies from Dean Fraser, God Keep Me Covered blends reflection with reverence. The pairing, Elephant Man said, created a sound too spiritual for the usual dancehall bravado.

"Just the touching horns weh Dean Fraser blowing, and how di riddim feel, yuh couldn't guh pon dat and talk bout Girl Bruck Out or Willy Bounce and Signal di Plane. No, wi nuh waah signal no plane or willy bounce right now, wi calling on di Almighty, and giving him thanks fi bringing us through di hurricane," the entertainer said.

Beyond the music, Elephant Man is preparing to lend hands-on help to those affected by the storm. He revealed that once he is back on the island, he plans to donate supplies and food to families in need.

"If yuh a give, give from yuh heart," he urged.

As heartbreak and uncertainty grip communities across the island, Elephant Man believes that music still has the power to heal wounded spirits. The deejay said his mission with God Keep Me Covered goes beyond entertainment - it's about restoring hope through song.

"These are the times when people need somebody or music fi comfort dem ... So I had to play my part by bringing it in the music to di people dem because they are looking out for it and it's a pleasure putting this together fi di people dem," he said.