Cormega recently caught up with Mikey T the Movie Star to discuss his charity work in Haiti last June following the devastating earthquake that rocked the country last year. The Queensbridge legend discussed what it was like to help out in the country and said that he was inspired by the Haitian peoples’ resilience in their dark time.
“I went to Haiti, [and] it was humbling because first of all, they don’t have streets,” he said. “A lot of places, it’s just nothing but rumble. And I’ve seen, you know how we have those metal things that we use in our country to close down our stores?…some of those people were breaking those and making things to live in out of it. I’ve seen a lot people living in tents. Water is a like luxury. It’s something we take for granted, but it’s something they’re deprived of. I’ve just seen a lot, but the thing that grabbed me the most about Haiti…is their spirit. Their spirit is undying. That situation would break a lot of people, and I’ve seen Haitian people just appreciative that they’re still here. I’ve seen them partying and dancing and enjoying their lives still, just hoping for the best. They are dealing with it and they deserve all the help they can get. They deserve honorable people helping them instead of all the fuckery that’s going on, because a lot of people generate funds for Haiti but they don’t get the funds.”
Mega also talked about interacting with other helpers in Haiti. He said that he came to respect Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn, who he said was helping the Haitian people to the fullest extent. He even told a story about how Penn rushed a sick child to the hospital.
“I gained a lot of respect for certain people and I lost a lot of respect for certain people when I was out there,” he explained. “The person that surprised me the most is Sean Penn. Here you have an A-list actor…who was out there while I was out there, and he was out there in the tents with those people, helping those people. I saw a story in the media saying that he was doing it for attention, [and] that’s a lie. He was out there when there was no media attention…I even had a Haitian brother tell me he met Sean Penn in the street rushing to the hospital, and the guy asked Sean Penn, ‘Can I get a picture with you?’ And Sean Penn said, ‘I don’t want to take no picture, I just need to get to the hospital’…the guy drove Sean Penn to the hospital. Meanwhile, Sean Penn is helping a sick kid. He drove the sick kid to the hospital, and then when he got to the hospital, [Penn] let the guy take a picture with him…stuff like that you don’t hear about. Now that’s real.”
The full interview can be seen below.
