With increasing reports of confrontations involving mentally-ill people, Montego Bay-based entertainer Rickey Teetz believes that steps must be made to intervene and help those suffering from mental illnesses.

“We have to find a way to recognise mental illness in our relatives and find effective ways to get them the help they need and if they have episodes, we have to find solutions to de-escalate these conflicts,” Rickey Teetz said.

In 2021, police said there were eight fatal incidents involving the police and the mentally-ill. There were also eight shooting incidents. Recently, a series of high-profile killings have focused public attention on the adequacy of mental health treatment and care.

“More can be done,” Rickey Teetz said.

Rickey Teetz, because of his own personal experiences with his mother who battled mental illness and had a nervous breakdown, has a soft spot for people who are mentally challenged.

“My mother passed away after suffering a nervous breakdown from raising seven kids by herself and going through terrible poverty…the stress was too much for her. Mental illness is a sickness that needs understanding and care and we can’t ignore the mentally-ill and homeless, they are humans too,” he said.

Rickey Teetz was recently featured in a viral video on TikTok where he offered clothes and toiletries to a random stranger, a mentally challenged man in Montego Bay.

The singer noted that callousness appeared to be spreading throughout society in recent years.

“The past decade has seen a trend of people becoming more materialistic and self-focused, even the respect that once led for our elders is increasingly going away. We have to get back to a small island culture of caring for our fellow Jamaicans. Just start with a small act of kindness with even a stranger in need,” he said.

The Mobay-based artiste has been steadily solidifying a formidable underground presence with his music which is a mix of motivational anthems, get-money hustler tracks and grimy street songs.

He is best known for songs such as 1000 Block, Lighters Up and Dolla.

Rickey Teetz, whose real name is Ricardo McLean, was born in 1983 in the Montego Bay community of Rose Heights. He hopes to inspire others with his music.

The entertainer is slated to perform on a show dubbed New Level Unlocked on January 14, 2025 and Mikey’s Birthday Bash on January 18, 2025.