The British and US Virgin Islands are home to a lot of very talented people. Spanning multiple industries, some of the world’s best and brightest hail from our shores. We know who they are, usually. But sometimes, we get another name to add to our list of reasons why the Virgin Islands are the baddest to ever do it. So here’s a list of 5 famous Virgin Islanders you didn’t know were Virgin Islanders:
1. Melanie Amaro
Okay, fine. I am going to start off by lying right in ahyo face. At this point, a lot of us know Melanie Amaro is from the BVI, but some of the younger folks may be new around here. If you don’t know who she is, do me a favor and go straight to YouTube to look her up. Like for real, go look right now. I’ll give you a second. *whistles for a few minutes* Alright, so Melanie Amaro was the winner of the first season of The X-Factor USA. She was born in Florida but raised in Tortola, living with her grandmother until the age of 15 when she returned to Florida. Amaro wowed the judges in her initial audition with her rendition of “Listen” by Beyonce, earning a “yes” vote from all four judges. British and US Virgin Islanders alike cheered her on, singing her praises all over social media from beginning to end. Melanie would go on to win a $5 million music contract.
2. Kareem “Biggs” Burke
Kareem “Biggs” Burke is an American entrepreneur, record executive, and film producer. He grew up between St. Thomas and New York, often returning to the island to spend time with his mother’s family. He calls the Virgin Islands home.
Burke is best known as the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records along with Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Damon “Dame” Dash. Roc-A-Fella Records is one of Hip Hop’s most iconic labels that defined the sound of the culture in the late 90s. Following Roc-A-Fella’s remarkable run, Biggs stepped away from the music industry after the label’s ugly break up in the mid-2000s.
3. Mike Yard
If you’ve ever heard a Virgin Islander use the phrase “frolicking shoes,” you can thank none other than comedian Mike Yard. Yard has had roles on “Inside Amy Schumer,” “The Break with Michelle Wolf,” and “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.” He was also the winner of Comedy Central’s “Get Up, Stand Up” comedy competition. He was born on St. Croix and was raised in Frederiksted until the age of 13, when his family moved to Brooklyn. Among his many other comedic accolades, Mike Yard taught us how to ask the hard-hitting questions: “you waan guh frolic?” “YO WANT PLANTAIN?”
4. Richard Humphreys
Richard Humphreys was born in Tortola to Sarah and Thomas Humphreys. His parents were Quakers and high-society members (they profited from slavery, so there’s that). Richard would grow up to become a Quaker philanthropist, with one of his dying wishes being the donation of 10% of his Estate going toward establishing a school for “the descendants of the African Race.” This school would later become Cheyney University, the first HBCU in the country.
5. Karrine Steffans
Karrine Steffans was born on St. Thomas, moving to Florida at the age of 10. Steffans had a tumultuous childhood but ultimately wound up finding success as an actress, model, “video vixen,” and author. As a video vixen, Karrine would appear in quite a few hip-hop and R&B music videos alongside some of the world’s biggest stars. This experience led to her writing her NYT Bestseller “Confessions of a Video Vixen,” a tell-all about her experiences in the music industry. I mean, sis was calling names like it was graduation! Suffice to say, she met some backlash, none of which deterred her from speaking her truth. She is currently still an author, as well as an editor and literary agent.
6. Leslie Brathwaite
Leslie’s fascination with music began at a young age in St. Thomas, and led him to pursue a degree at Full Sail University. After graduating in 1992, he made is way to Atlanta where he went on to establish himself as a go-to mix engineer and producer – working with artists including Jay Z, Madonna, T.I., and more.
Leslie’s impressive list of GRAMMY awards include TLC’s Fanmail (Best Rap Album), Brandy and Monica’s single, “The Boy is Mine” (Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group), Outkast’s Stankonia (Best Rap Album), Pharrell Williams’ G I R L (Best Urban Contemporary Album) and “Happy” (Best Pop Solo Performance, 2015) . He’s still based in Atlanta today, where he continues to craft his signature sound and grow his admirable résumé.
7. Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD
Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, holds a laundry list of commendable positions including but DEFINITELY not limited to Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Public Health, and Management; Associate Cancer Center Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at Yale Cancer Center; and Director of the Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Equity Leadership. Dr. Nunez-Smith hails from the island of St. Thomas, where she attended All-Saints Cathedral High School. Most recently, she was named one of three co-chairs of president-elect Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board. Following the dissolution of that task force after the inauguration, she was named leader of the administration’s task force on health equity following the dissolution of the advisory board.
Who did we miss? Tell us your list of famous Virgin Islanders we should know about!
You forgot Wayne Brady and Kelsey Grammer