Hello! I'm Myka Rasmussen, and my video just went viral. Shocking really. I'm a musician from Portland, and I've been homeless for about 2 years. Currently 19 years old! AMA.

My Proof: http://imgur.com/a/HUopd More Proof: https://youtu.be/7_PNl0tHW6A Even more proof: https://youtu.be/IfFR8STAbOg

Comments: 391 • Responses: 69  • Date: 

thedon97194 karma

How many people have given you coffee while you played?

MykaPDX211 karma

nobody has given me coffee, but a lot of people have given me a few dollars here and there!

CBAFCMV75 karma

I don't believe this.

MykaPDX73 karma

but it's the truth! :D

a_raging_goblin36 karma

i would have given you a coffee, a doughnut, a plate of sushi, and my undying love.

MykaPDX25 karma

haaaaaaa sweet

skip_churches130 karma

Would you rather suck one horse sized dick or 100 dick sized horses?

MykaPDX114 karma

I'm vegan so I think i'll go with the first one :-)

DollaDillz109 karma

Now I know why you turned down the creamer.

MykaPDX51 karma

hahahah good one

creamjudge129 karma

What happened that made you become homeless? Are you still homeless? Is everything OK?

MykaPDX217 karma

Unfortunately, my home life wasn't great, so I had to leave at 17. I am still technically homeless, but I have a roof over my head and so everything is alright :-)

TJmonsterrr100 karma

I also left home at 17. I drifted til around 26 and was in and out of hospitals. I'm now 31 with a husband and two kids and four dogs. I wish you so much luck and just know that this is a temporary time in your life. I'm pretty sure that things are going to get amazing for you.

MykaPDX75 karma

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kindness, ya wonderful human.

_ps57 karma

what qualifies as "technically homeless"?

MykaPDX179 karma

I don't pay rent, they could kick me out within a day, and if I don't get my shit together quick, I'll be back out on the streets within a couple of years. I live in transitional housing. It's free for people between 18 and 25, and I can stay here for 2 years. It's like a treatment center but like a "get your shit together" treatment.

_ps60 karma

how does sucking dick for a doughnut sit with the roommates?

MykaPDX70 karma

hahahaha never done it, wouldn't know :-)

the_leprechauns_anus94 karma

What does it actually mean to be homeless in Portland?

MykaPDX133 karma

I don't live ON the streets anymore, but when I did, this is what it looked like:

sleeping next to the river or under bridges or on sidewalks and doorways of businesses. hanging out with friends 24/7 in parks coming up with shenanigans because we don't take ourselves too seriously anyways :-)

black_brotha58 karma

to piggy back off the previous question...how is it being a woman and homeless.. One, Safety..you know, rape and all. 2. Feminine issues and getting that sorted out regularly..

I imagine it would make things doubly hard.

MykaPDX92 karma

Yes! it certainly does make life a bit more difficult. Being a femme while being houseless makes me an easier target for a lot of things unfortunately. I've experienced a bit more trauma than somebody of a masculine gender would for sure.

Feminine hygiene is taken pretty seriously, there are a lot of services that have those items accessible.

ragingalcoholic7324 karma

Just curious, what's your educational background like? You seem well spoken and fairly thoughtful. All the homeless (or houseless? I noticed you chose that term) people in my area that I've interacted with are not very good with communicating. Often times illiterate. And they more often than not have mental health concerns and intense conditions of substance abuse.

MykaPDX30 karma

I do struggle with intense mental health issues, but i've been gifted with an awesomely intelligent brain (thank goodness), and I graduated high school in 2017. :-)

Iamflirtingwithyou77 karma

Could you verify the following accounts belong to you?

If I had any money I would donate to your pages:

https://www.patreon.com/myka

https://soundcloud.com/myka-rasmussen

https://www.gofundme.com/help-me-get-some-music-equipment

MykaPDX70 karma

i'm not the most reddit savy person, how do I do that?

Amiracle56141 karma

just reply 'yeah those links are mine'

MykaPDX137 karma

oh hahahaha my bad. I thought you meant officially or something. Yep, those links are mine!

amateur-dentist68 karma

Do you worry at all about this one silly little song completely defining your music? Are you going to try to run with it and write more flippant and crass kind of stuff or was this just a fun one off thing?

MykaPDX85 karma

That's an awesome question. I have worried about that, yes. I would like people to see me for the wellrounded musician that I am and I plan to stay really true to what my inner self wants, which is to share my thoughts and ideas with the world, and sometimes that may involve something crass, but the rest of it is typically more heart felt :-)

amateur-dentist44 karma

Wishing you luck. You remind me a lot of someone I used to play with. You have fans over on /r/folkpunk fyi

MykaPDX41 karma

hahahah thanks so much, and that's legitttt

gimlic56 karma

How can I pay money for this song?

MykaPDX96 karma

I'll be working on a recording for this song very soon! Stay tuned my friend :-)

stankydrank31 karma

I'd pay for an album of music like this. I've already sent it to like 9 people. Keep it coming!

MykaPDX30 karma

Hahahahah I really appreciate it!! So much.

Tensuke19 karma

Do you have a way we can follow you to know when that comes out?

MykaPDX35 karma

yeah you can follow my soundcloud! :) just search up myka rasmussen, I don't know if I'm allowed to put the actual link

flying_fuck39 karma

What was the inspiration behind your hit song?

MykaPDX73 karma

My friend Bob actually wrote it. He wrote it in Boise in front of a pizza parlor when he was hungry and not making enough money! People started buying him loads of pizza after this though!

mojoslowmo38 karma

I live in Boise, was he busking in front of the pie hole?

MykaPDX32 karma

YES! hahaha not too recently though

THISISDOORS38 karma

what is the most insane squatting experience you have had? Bonus points if it involves dicks or coffee or both

MykaPDX109 karma

hahahahahah I have never squatted before, but the funniest place i've slept was in front of the church of scientology. they would come out and throw books at me and my friends about the marijuanas and other drugs, but the funny thing is that I don't use any substances!

Leiderdorp32 karma

50 minutes into the AMA and still no answers,

....Who bought her an XXXL coffee?

MykaPDX32 karma

sorry about that! the only place the feeds food in the area is available a select few hours per day, and I had to get some dinner!

markevens29 karma

They guy filming seemed to having a blast listening to you, and as the video ends it seems a pleasant interaction started. Do you remember that guy?

MykaPDX55 karma

Yes I do remember him hahaha he was covering his mouth half the time while filming, in disbelief haha he was really nice, and asked permission to film and to post.

markevens19 karma

That's awesome.

I'm in pdx. If I ever run into you, you're definitely getting a dollar.

MykaPDX18 karma

Thanks yoooo!!!

RRettig27 karma

Are you interested in a job? I have many connections in the portland metro area for employment.

MykaPDX14 karma

The short answer is yes, the long answer is i'm quite picky on what job I do.

catatonic_sextoy27 karma

Why are you homeless?

MykaPDX60 karma

My home life wasn't all that great, so I left when I was seventeen and chose mental health over an emotionally unsafe situation!

_Nohbdy_10 karma

Glad you got out and that you're putting your well-being first, but sucks (NPI) not having a place to stay. Hope your newfound fame puts you in a much better situation.

MykaPDX13 karma

Thank you! I luckily have a place to live right now, but in the eyes of society it's still considered "homeless"

YarharALC7 karma

Hearing it go from 1) homeless 2) "homeless" in less than thirty seconds gave me a really quick burst of happiness. Glad to hear you're doing alright!

MykaPDX9 karma

yeah totally hahaha my bad for the scare!

chadthundercunt23 karma

On average, how many.. uh.. cups of coffee do you drink a day?

MykaPDX39 karma

I ironically don't drink ANY coffee, and really don't like it much hehe

BatesMSc19 karma

What is that black thing around your arm in the video? Have you ever broken your arm? Where is the best place to play music in Portland? What is your favorite song to play?

MykaPDX42 karma

The black thing around my arm in the video is a sling, I had fallen off of a post trying to be cool and stand on one food, and hurt my arm. The doc thought I might have broken it but it turned out okay. I still wanted to play music though so I played with an arm that was injured.

I've never broken an arm, or any bone for that matter!!!

my favorite song to play is this one rendition of "can't get no satisfaction" by the stones!

kaminabis19 karma

Will you really suck a dick for a cup of coffee?

MykaPDX24 karma

I never have sucked dick for coffee, and I never plan to! :-)

pureparadise19 karma

serious question time.

What are your thoughts and current plans with this new found attention? What would be your ideal outcome for this?

MykaPDX31 karma

Wellllllll, that's a tough one. I am really excited to have way more people listening to my music and supporting me. My plan is to maybe make a few dollars and buy some new equipment to play on the streets some more, and have people hear me so that I don't have to yell! My ideal outcome for this would be booking more shows perhaps, and just having more people hearing my other music as well. Sharing myself with others with hopes to help in a way is really important to me.

tampagiru17 karma

Overall what was the feedback of everyone around you?

MykaPDX28 karma

My friends are pretty excited and supportive of me!

Immortal_Azrael17 karma

Have you had anyone take your song as a serious offer and get mad when you didn't want to blow them?

MykaPDX37 karma

hehehehehe noooo, people are pretty good at knowing that it's just a joke! :-) I have had a few people flip me off though, which I thought was pretty funny.

Immortal_Azrael15 karma

That's good. If I see you playing around town I'll be sure to give you a couple bucks.

MykaPDX13 karma

I really appreciate thaaaat!!

Dropkeys15 karma

Why are there no answers from op?

MykaPDX46 karma

So sorry about that! The only place in my area that serves food is open very select hours and I had to eat!!

bikinimonday15 karma

Whose house are you in?

MykaPDX24 karma

I'm living in a free housing situation for houseless people between the ages of 18 and 25. It's not ideal, but I can be here for 2 years so that's great.

BOBCRATCHITSASSHOLE14 karma

do you eat on the shitter?

MykaPDX22 karma

...i've done it once or twice...

HoldMyAwp12 karma

Has anyone bought you coffee?

MykaPDX20 karma

nobody has!

FearAndDelight12 karma

How's your day been so far?

MykaPDX23 karma

It's been great! A lot of sitting in front of the computer :-)

Qlinkenstein10 karma

Can you please put out an album with more songs like this? I love the humor in it and the confidence as you belt it out. It's vaguely reminiscent of a Stephen Lynch song; set up, set up, set up, punchline. You are awesome.

MykaPDX17 karma

The thing is that my friend Bob wrote this! I'm sure that I could write one equally hilarious though, and maybe an album of them. I honestly have a different music style than this typically though. I love the subtle humor in jeffrey lewis's writing, and I might be able to take up something like that.

Qlinkenstein8 karma

Please do this you are so talented. Here's to your success!

MykaPDX10 karma

Thanks so much! hahaha

defunktpistol8 karma

Who inspires you most?

MykaPDX14 karma

Elliott Smith is my biggest inspiration. He was a houseless junkie in Portland, and his music is heart wrenching beauty.

mode7scaling10 karma

He is one of my favs as well. Are you aware of /r/elliottsmith?

MykaPDX11 karma

WHAAAAT NOOO. Thanks for the link up.

mode7scaling7 karma

No prob. I used to be a PDX person as well, and miss the fuck out of it.

MykaPDX10 karma

PDX is great in so many ways. I want to see more of Oregon too though, I've never been anywhere else! I would love to visit Eugene.

selfawarepileofatoms7 karma

What are your long term plans? You're only 19 so you have your whole life ahead of you, are you content to keep a nomadic life style or are you looking to change it up?

MykaPDX18 karma

Well, ideally I would like to get all of my needs met while playing music, but I don't mind not having the monetary either. I'm still trying to figure out what to do. I might get into audio engineering, social work, or see how just playing music goes for the next couple years while working at a convenience store or something :-)

boyrune46 karma

favorite rapper?

MykaPDX13 karma

unpopular opinion: I think yung lean is golden

PerplexedLabrat6 karma

Did you get the chance to suck a dick at the end??

MykaPDX13 karma

nope and I would have declined had I been asked to!

cornbeefandcabbage5 karma

What are your thoughts on avocado prices?

MykaPDX12 karma

duuuudeee avocado prices are through the roof nowadays....

AgentG965 karma

What would you do if you won the lottery, like $10m plus?

MykaPDX13 karma

First i'd probably buy a pack of cigarettes and then sick there with the money for a few weeks. Let the excitement die down. Then I'd give some to my friends and my younger brother probably, theeennnnn travel the world as a hitchhiker or maybe by boat... yeahhhh by boat. I'd buy a boat and travel around in it, stopping at places to make friends and buy them food and stuff.

_ps5 karma

both of thoes proof videos were filmed in a house.

what qualifies as "homeless"?

MykaPDX7 karma

I think it's because I don't pay rent or make an income or anything? it's considered transitional housing. it's free for people 18-25 just getting off of the streets. it's an awesome program. It's kind of like being in treatment in a way, but a "get your shit together" kinda treatment Lol

BaconCat424 karma

Has singing always been your passion? How did you get to where you are today?

MykaPDX3 karma

YES!! absolutely. I started playing piano when I was 6 years old, and started playing guitar at 15. I've been singing since I was able to talk pretty much. And it's mostly been hard work and practice, and being in the right places at the right times.

themendingwall4 karma

[deleted]

MykaPDX7 karma

I'd say i'm just enjoying it while it lasts! :-)

Harasoluka3 karma

When are you dropping the album?

MykaPDX5 karma

I hope to drop an album as soon as I can get my recording equipment back from a friend's house!

killstructo3 karma

Is it more than 36 dicks?

MykaPDX6 karma

hahahhaahaha naaaahhh... 0 dicks.

killstructo5 karma

37 clits it is. I'm not judging.

MykaPDX12 karma

now we're talking :))))))

suchbsman3 karma

Just wanted to say, digging your stuff.

Also, what is some of your favorite music to listen to, and are there any artists that inspire/influence you?

MykaPDX8 karma

Thanks so much!

honestly, Elliott Smith is my BIGGEST inspiration. some of my favorite music is progressive rock from the late 60s / early 70s, like Gentle Giant and King Crimson. Somebody who I hope to make music like one day is Ty Segall. I'm sort of obsessed with his music.

Dreadedsemi2 karma

How do you like your coffee?

MykaPDX4 karma

I actually don't really like coffee!!!

Dreadedsemi4 karma

So the way is the goal?

MykaPDX6 karma

yeah exactlllyyyy. it's all about the journey man!

tck951 karma

Do you have any other songs?

MykaPDX5 karma

I do indeed! The links are at the top, in the description. I have 60 tracks on soundcloud, though they are all old and I need to record more.

joeydefiant1 karma

Will you cover police bastard?

MykaPDX3 karma

I've never heard if this band but thanks for the recommendation, I actually really like it.

theeril1 karma

I hope you stay safe and away from drugs! Perhaps you could do a gig with James Bowen?

MykaPDX6 karma

I actually haven't used any substances in about 6 months, and haven't drank since new years eve!

ocean3651 karma

Do you believe in an afterlife?

Also do you like Arcade Fire or LCD Soundsystem?

MykaPDX3 karma

I believe in reincarnation honestly :-) and I do like arcade fire, but i've never heard anything by LCD Soundsystem I don't think.

terry101010011 karma

how much did you make that day?

MykaPDX5 karma

I only made about 15 dollars but I didn't play for long :-)

EZ_does_it1 karma

How did you come to play the guitar? You always loved music? What's your end game?

MykaPDX5 karma

I hope to play music until the day I day. I've never lost the passion for it, i've loved it since I was conscious. And I was at a friend's house one day and they had a guitar, and I picked it up and it felt easy and I could sing with it, and it became an obsession after that!

ThisManDoesTheReddit1 karma

What was it like working with Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jason Segel?

Do you think you'd be interested in playing Sam Wait again if they ever did a Freaks and Geeks reunion?

MykaPDX4 karma

Hahahahahahha I think you've got the wrong person

Robpool20001 karma

Do you wish you could take it back?

MykaPDX5 karma

Take back playing the song and having it posted? Nahhhh I don't think so :-) part of the journey