CLUBS & MUSIC • By Mike Marcotte •
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SLAY RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and Minneapolis resident BeBe Zahara Benet has ‘charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent’
She’s the winner of the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and most recently, won multiple challenges as a surprise contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3. Add in the recent release of solo music on iTunes and a sold-out show in Minneapolis, one could say BeBe Zahara Benet is having her best year yet. Born Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa in Cameroon, BeBe moved to Minnesota to be closer to family. After a stint in New York City, BeBe once again calls Minneapolis home. Lavender chatted with BeBe about Drag Race, including the Minneapolis queens who would excel on the main stage of the VH1 television show. Plus, we discover what makeup accessory is clutch in this drag queen’s bag along with where BeBe goes to find hot guys in Minneapolis. Lavender Magazine: BeBe, you’re an immigrant to Minneapolis. What brought you here? BeBe Zahara Benet: I came to the United States to be able to really figure out what craft I wanted to focus on. I came to attend university. In that process, I discovered my calling and realized that it had nothing to do with what I was studying. Lavender: When did you start doing drag? When did you decide this was what you wanted to do for a career? BZB: I started doing drag in 2000. That’s when I really started exploring the art form. The same year, I did a show with Cyndi Lauper and discovered that this is what I wanted to do. All of the puzzle pieces came together. That’s when I made my first money as a drag entertainer and realized I could do this for a living. Lavender: What do you love about the drag and gay scenes in the Twin Cities? BZB: I feel like the girls here make it really fun. You see so many kinds of drag and there is a melting pot among us all—campy, club kids, glamorous pageant girls, the fashion-forward girls, etc. I love that. Also, there is a sense of family in the drag scene. Minnesota allows you to explore your craft and figure out how you want to express yourself.
Minneapolis-based drag queen BeBe Zahara Benet gained fame for winning the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Photo by Alvan Washington CONTINUED ON PAGE 46