Nassau, The Bahamas… Bahamian hip hop icon Manifest stunned fans recently when he put down his regular in-your-face style routine and opted to bring out a mellow side with his guitar and wife in an effort to raise funds for the survivors of the Haitian earthquake.

Manifest performed on the first night of a two night telethon in his native Bahamas on a nationally syndicated telecast which featured dignitaries and representatives from the Bahamian-Haitian community. The event was an effort by scores of Bahamian businesses and spearheaded by the Rotary Clubs of the Bahamas and Bahamas Chamber of Commerce.

“It was such a spur of the moment event,” said Manifest. “But it’s amazing how we all know to turn to God in the midst of crisis to be our brother’s keeper. There are many people who are still suffering there even though we have the luxury of changing the channel when we see their plight on tv.

Manifest’s wife, Radel a fixture in the Bahamian film, theatre and writing community joined her husband onstage to sing the haunting words “I want to live not die. I wish I could get away. Don’t you want to get away, away from here?”

Though written well before the catastrophic January 12, 2010 event and originally planned to be unveiled in the spring release of the HISlife, HISmic album, Manifest says the song is befitting when one thinks of what the people of Haiti are enduring.

“My wife, my publicist and our children were in my office in The Bahamas and then the calls came in and the news came on that we were our under tsunami watch because of the quake in Haiti,” he recalled. “We were told we had six hours of being under alert and the highest point in the country is only 206 feet above sea level - and that island was miles to the south. Our country and other neighboring countries were spared but because we were blessed we in turn must bless others. And even though it’s been a couple of weeks, people are still wanting to get away and wanting to live not die. We are not Haitian, Bahamian, American, Caribbean or European in these kinds of circumstances. We are human and we have an obligation to each other especially in times of crisis. Even if you can’t give a dollar it costs nothing to whisper a prayer for those who are hurting.”

Manifest says that he encourages all artists to continue to support various humanitarian and civic causes because no one knows when they will be in need. He also urges fans to support established and proven organizations so that they can ensure that their support reaches those in need instead of unknowingly donating to scams.