- [Interviewer] Mercy.
We're here in Los Angeles.
You're living in one of those tents behind us.
- I feel like I'm about to dive into this camera
'cause it's just like, like pointing a gun my in face.
We gotta be this close?
- [Interviewer] Yeah, 'cause you look good.
I can show ya.
- Look good?
It feels crazy.
Like I'm just like, like I'm about to like
Stevie Wonder singing into a mic or something.
- [Interviewer] So what it does is it makes everything
behind you blurry and it makes your face pop out.
I can show ya.
- I believe you but...
Trying to say, what I'm saying is it's very uncomfortable
to stand this close to the camera
'cause I hadn't had this close to my face.
- [Interviewer] Got it, got it, got it.
I'll come a little bit back.
How's that?
- Okay, I guess it is.
- [Interviewer] So we'll start again.
And the other thing is the mic, so.
- It's gonna have a mic somewhere else?
- [Interviewer] Well, you got to speak up.
By being close I get less car and more, more of you.
Mercy? - Aye.
- [Interviewer] We're here and what part of town is this?
- Los Angeles, California, Cali.
- [Interviewer] You live in one of those tents.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Tell me about it.
Like going in your backyard when you was a little kid.
I mean camping out, but it's like,
a little different though, different things.
Different things, you know, it was all fun,
enjoyed it back then.
Now, you know, streets is the streets.
- [Interviewer] So tell me about homelessness
in Los Angeles.
- It's kinda like, I'm gonna say like,
so, not self--
People inflict, you know,
make things bigger than what they are, you know.
Make people feel down about themselves or whatever happened.
You know, they going to ask now if it was suicide,
I'm talking about the regular folks who,
whatever regular folks are, you know.
- [Interviewer] The house people.
- Regular folks.
I don't know what they call it, house people,
back of their house and got.
Aye look, but they people peoples I guess, all right,
just peoples, all right or something like that.
But
a lot of people was naive because I used to be that way.
But I wasn't out here.
My daughter be runnin',
Dad the homeless people grabbing on me.
I'm like, what's wrong with you pulling you crazy.
This crazy like, crazy stuff like.
- [Interviewer] So you used to judge homelessness
until you were homeless.
- Sad to say I'm a very judgmental person.
What I see out here I see it.
Text like, okay, that's real.
'Cause a lot of shit's camouflage, but you know,
you got to watch out because these people,
they didn't, they mean and don't even know it.
You know what I mean?
That's the cold part, it's like--
- [Interviewer] Well, they're in survival mode.
- Survival mode.
Do what you gotta do, you know what I mean?
- [Interviewer] Especially here.
- It's rules out here, like, like everywhere.
Like you pay rent and you gotta do what you gotta do.
Like abide by their rules.
No, no, no, whatever may be the situation, but.
There's rules everything.
Gotta abide by 'em or abide by 'em.
But at the same token, like natural things, right?
It's just maybe some people low grade things or whatever
but it's natural things.
It's just a different basis at a different level.
But shit real, you know.
- [Interviewer] Homelessness is real.
- That's what it is.
- [Interviewer] How long have you been out--
- It's like, it's like, you know,
those are people's mother, fathers,
brothers, sisters, you know, et cetera.
It's people like connected to these people.
These people are just out here, you know.
They got connections and shit.
Who is anybody to say some shit like, like,
you know, they just nasty or whatever.
Oh shit, look out on the block.
Watch out, watch out, hey.
- [Man] Put your hands up.
- Yeah, it's just like--
(man speaking unclearly)
No, no, Mercy.
Hey, but one of them things,
yeah, it's just hard out here.
You know, but it's basically the same it's just a low level.
that might be a little tougher.
You know what I mean?
But you know, like this dude right here, right,
this red truck, right.
You got another truck, he like a Mexican dude,
he work hard as hell.
Got a family, big family, everything out there, right,
and I watched this dude watch me
like after the first year or something like that, right,
and he was like, hey man,
they stopped breaking into cars and shit like that
since y'all been out here.
I'm like, what you mean?
He was like every day they used to break into people's car.
This man live around the corner
right there on that corner, around that corner
and he got a burgundy truck and this truck, this red one.
We noticed it be here every day, every night.
I watch him and I didn't even ask him to do this,
you know what I mean,
but he coming out here and just blessing me.
Like you know, a person, a person, a person.
- [Interviewer] Wait, wait let me--
- And to me, my eyes right, he the tough guy, right.
He got it easy, he the tough guy,
'cause this motherfucker got get up to work
and feed that family, right.
And he blessing me sometimes, like,
with the churches and stuff with all type of like.
Like blessings on top of blessings, like cakes.
I can show you things, right.
It's bad out here, but got those few that care
and big what's up to those out there, like yo,
y'all do, y'all do wonderful things.
Like people like Jay,
like Yolanda from The Cloud Nine, you know.
They do, they do stuff.
- [Interviewer] So let me follow the story there.
You're saying that cars used to get broken into
until you guys came here?
- That's what they said.
The be bringing beers and whatnot.
Like, hey man--
- [Interviewer] So now they're coming in and giving you
stuff because you basically doing security.
- But no, that's the immediate community,
like that's the people that work here.
Like you're very, this is not no like,
no residential type of block, right.
It's got one housing unit in a corner right here
and the rest is all vendors and what not
and then over there's the corner house.
These the immediate people, I sort of, I was,
I would call them, right, and they ain't help us out
because they see every day the struggle.
They see a sweep, right.
Let me to go look at your block
and see if your block look like this swept like this, right.
Your block in front of where you live at, you know.
And we got all types of stuff
and we so do everything extra because we out here
in this world and it's diseases, all kinda shit, right?
You know, shit that you could catch.
And so we extra out with it.
Like, we might have like hand sanitizers in every room.
We might have 10 in every room, you know what I mean
'cause we're not no dirt bag people.
I say we right, ain't no dirt bag people, nothing like that.
We just people like any ordinary people that you get up
and go work with. - You keep your home clean.
- Keep your life, your home, everything clean
you know what I mean?
Because there's so much temptation out here
that it's easy in a way, but it's it's really not.
Like I said, some that come with everything out here,
you might choose, right.
Like Jay getting the fork road
and go gang bang or good.
I'm a go.
So you go way, some go yay.
You know, but everyday people shit.
Same thing, no different than you, know what I mean?
You might have a bank account.
This man out here might have a bank account or two.
You know what I mean and shit,
you might what, a car, he might have a car.
- [Interviewer] How long you been out here, man?
- You know, that flash (unclear speech)
flash goes out here.
- [Interviewer] How long you been out here?
- Three years, man.
- [Interviewer] Three years, what happened?
- What didn't, that's the question.
- [Interviewer] Good question, good answer.
- Little bit of that, little bit of this.
You know, jealousy.
Get your shot, someone shot me right in the tent.
Through the tent.
- [Interviewer] You got shot out here?
- Yeah, two years ago, two years ago.
Is that about two years ago, a year and a half ago.
- [Interviewer] Is anybody helping you get out of here?
- I would say Cloud Nine
and while we out here, I think what's helping us
while we out here like, Jay again and Matt, two good people.
- [Interviewer] And they're from Streetwatch?
- Streetwatch, yeah.
Streetwatch, yeah, they're good, they're good.
They do their thing and it's like, not just saying it,
you know, you know things like, like I said,
last night I was walking down there
and this girl was freezing, right.
Somebody stole her sticks from her tent
but that's stealing your beams from your house, right.
The beams that support your shit, your shit'll fall down.
She's down, she can't got her tent, can't go it's cold.
I'm walking by like,
and Jane gave me a couple of tents, right.
She gave me one for--
Happened to have an extra tent, right.
She was, oh, all right...
She was cold and everything.
I had to say, yo, I got a tent that you ain't seen
when I was giving out the tents with the lady?
She was like, no, I wasn't here, she was out recycling.
Tent with your name on it.
She was happy.
- [Interviewer] So you take care of your neighbors.
- I would like to say we take care of each other
but like, like normal shit, is some good and some bad,
you know, it's just normal shit, right.
- [Interviewer] Same thing in the suburbs.
- You know, right, yeah.
- [Interviewer] Every time I hear about drama out here,
I'm always reminded it's the same stuff in the suburbs.
Only they have walls and you guys are intense.
- It's wherever.
It's the same thing wherever, right.
Wherever you are, it's the same shit,
it's just different faces, different textures
and new levels.
You know that people get the people's people
give us the levels, right.
- [Interviewer] So what's your future like?
- I see myself, all right--
To be truthful? - Yeah.
- What's my future like?
Like you got a year's plan on that or five year?
I mean what, what you mean, like?
I see a future right, but it's new,
it's a little there though, right.
Like I see myself in a restaurant.
I see myself, I see myself with two businesses, right.
Like I got a plan, you know what I mean?
And it's like, I'm in it though, I'm in my plan.
It's like just--
- [Interviewer] Right now you're surviving
and you're going to work on your plan when you can.
- I'm working on my plan. - Good!
- Because it's my way out.
- [Interviewer] Your two businesses, huh?
- Alright.
(woman mumbling)
Tell him, tell him I was going to call me.
I need to speak to him.
Yeah.
- [Interviewer] so this isn't the end of the road?
This isn't the last stop?
- It could be to people or whatever, you know what I mean?
- [Interviewer] But for you.
You're going to get yourself out of here.
- My mom told me different from myself yeah,
because clearly I think and it's like,
I make a plan and in order to complete the plan,
you gotta start it right, I started it,
I been started it.
So I could say I'm like,
I feel like midway, midway there like,
you know what I mean because...
It's a winning plan, you know what I mean,
and it's like, it ain't no foolishness,
it ain't no junk.
It's just, I could do something and I know I can do it
and I'm gonna do it.
That's what I'm doing right now, so.
- [Interviewer] Good.
- Might sound funny, but I like to cook.
I know how to cook real good, right.
That's some chef shit, right.
I was out here-- - Some jokers, right.
- [Interviewer] I was out here 25 years ago.
I look forward to joining you in your restaurant.
- It's going to be--
- [Interviewer] What kind of, what kind of cuisine?
What do you like to cook?
- Everything. - Yeah, good.
- I can cook everything.
I can break down every.
I every experience, right.
Big barbecues. - Oh my God!
You gonna get me hungry!
But I did this whole block, I cook for this whole block.
Like, one time there was a bunch of bourbon and whatnot.
And you know, these people were,
I said man, I just cooked the whole thing
and gave it to him.
I've got a barbecue pit over here.
I know about me and my barbecue, right.
- [Interviewer] If you had three wishes, what would they be?
- One would be
to help all the homeless people
that's willing and want something in life,
that's not just out here for their certain reasons
or they're not unacceptable reasons in life
but it's people, that's real people, right.
And shit happens, and you know,
you know, everybody deserves a chance.
Especially those who's worth it, right, you know.
I was thinking get that shit together,
and life, just be happy all the way around.
- [Interviewer] All right, next wish?
- Wish, shoot.
You already know that wish two was, right. (laughs)
- [Interviewer] No, I'm not a mind reader!
- Okay, I would wish of course that,
not no hundred million tech, that's just too much, right.
I mean, but one meal ticket, right?
Meaning a million dollars, right?
Would do me and my, my compadre right here.
- [Interviewer] Right.
- That was my best friend in the world right there.
- [Interviewer] So some money to get you
and your dog off the streets.
- And to give back too, and enough to give back too right,
because it is about what you're saying
because you could be inhuman beings
to come from this place and not give back, right.
So I feel you when you keep telling me
that you was out here, right.
- [Interviewer] So that was the third, huh?
- The third is for another wish
so I could have one for myself, right.
No, no, no, but third would be
for everybody to see everybody as equal
because it would mean that they would open up that card
that they got and the feelings
and they would see the hurt
that these motherfuckers out here got, right.
I mean, there's a lot of hurt out here, man.
There's a lot of people that,
people would just misunderstood something
do that people to dirt and you know,
it's a lot of weird weirdos.
You know, and when I say weirdos,
like people that them dusty ass people
touching their own kids and shit like that
and they just run away, lost.
You know what I mean?
I'm not just talking about women,
I'm talking about men.
We shouldn't be having them.
And these people out here, it's real people
that need support or needed your support,
I don't know, right.
- [Interviewer] Now, there's weird people in Congress.
- Y'all taught me well, you know what I mean?
Y'all taught me well, right and when I say well,
y'all taught me how to I don't need no, I don't need nobody.
They say everybody needs somebody.
But I don't need,
I don't need nobody but the good Lord,
who taught me how to learn how to like,
y'all taught me I could do it by myself
and I'm gonna do it, right.
So I will, right.
I pray for those, right.
Right, 'cause they need it, right.
And some of y'all ought to reach out to them
because that's your family out there.
Y'all got folks out there, right.
You know, I watch Christmas and shit like that go by
they got more presents than, you know, one visit from y'all.
You know what I mean?
Folks, seen them folks, the moral support.
Do it, you don't know how much, right.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- Mine was just backwards.
So I said fuck it, I'm going to do to spite the world.
I can, I can, I will.
(interviewer laughing)
I pray for them who don't think like me though, right.
So they could get it, either way.
Fortune to come to them, that's what I pray for.
That's what that would be my main wish right there,
for them everything be equal, right.
- [Interviewer] That's why I do what I do.
I mean, I, I, and I tell stories.
- And I can feel you as well.
Like I could feel, I could go to seminar,
you know what I mean,
and be there with one of these actors or some shit
that like, you know everybody thought it was all this
as stupid as hell.
I can't elaborate more on the shit than that.
But you never know, right,
who you sittin' next to or who you curse, right,
look down on 'em, right.
'Cause, cause if you look down on somebody
and they looking up at you,
it ain't nothing to extend a hand, right.
I do it every day.
I extend a hand like boom.
Like, and feel good about it, right.
Because nobody could tell me 'cause somebody need it.
- [Interviewer] Well, Mercy,
thank you very much for talking to me.
It's an honor to meet you.
Please stay safe, man.
- Y'all too man and y'all stay safe, right,
'cause that's what it is, man.
Stay safe man, stay right, yo.
Pray a lot for everybody.
(electronic music)