In the hours following any natural disaster, it can be comforting for many to turn to their favorite celebrities, music artists and idols for aid. And after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Puerto Rico on January 7, 2020, Stars from the island have especially wasted no time in delivering their support — although some of their attempts may be more helpful than others.
Artists like Bad Bunny, Guaynaa, Princess Nokia, Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam (who released new single “Muevelo” today, January 8), have all shared their reactions and messages of encouragement within the last 24 hours. The latter pair took to Instagram shortly after news of the disaster broke, posting the same safety infographic.
Whereas Daddy Yankee urged his fans to share the infographic, Nicky Jam captioned his post with a spiritual message: “Puerto Rico, God is with us. We will not stop praying.” Their posts both feature a photo of a backpack with recommendations of essential items to carry in the event of an emergency: Water, a copy of your keys, rubbing alcohol, radio, toilet paper and the like.
While knowing what to do during an emergency is useful, reggaetonero Bad Bunny doesn’t think that posts like these are what the people of Puerto Rico need to see right now. He recently took to Twitter to point out the untimely nature of these infographics, tweeting “how easy it is to say, ‘stay calm people,’ when people are losing their homes and lives.” Benito further aired his frustrations by suggesting: “Who even has time to grab a backpack when their home is crumbling?”
Meanwhile, others are leveling with their fellow Boricuas by sharing their own experiences in the aftermath of the quake. Nuyorican rapper Princess Nokia thanked fans for checking in about her grandfather, who still lives alone in P.R. She posted an update to her Instagram Story, explaining that she has already made plans to help him and “our town of Humacao.”
And on his part, reggaetonero Guaynaa is extending his heart and ears to the people of Puerto Rico. As someone who lives on the island and still has family there, he promises that he will be there alongside them.