BeBe Zahara Benet
VANITY' is a celebration of beauty, self-identity, and self-respect. We want people to leave the show feeling okay to accept themselves - not to hold back and be ashamed of the extravagances they like to indulge in. We should be able to celebrate these things because they are part of living and we all strive for them.Collection: Beauty
The first thing I do when I get up is pray and meditate to center myself for the day ahead. I ask for inspiration in my creative endeavors, guidance in my relationships and patience in my journey. It's a great way to get focused for the day.Collection: Patience
Jungle Kitty is one of the colors of my persona that allows me to be free, allows to be untamed, allows me to have fun and let loose and be ferocious, raw, unapologetic, and carefree.
The worst frame of mind to be in is what the fans like or what the fans want, because then you lose the authenticity of who you are as an artist and who you are as a person.
There is something about the art form and about drag entertainers that is very uplifting.
I go into the kitchen and cook with music on or go for walks around my neighborhood when I feel the most overwhelmed.
I love rewatching 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' episodes, 'Project Runway,' 'Making the Cut' and other fun shows. If there's fashion and/or drama involved, I'll give it a watch. And of course I've got to watch my show 'Dragnificent' on TLC!
I try to keep a balanced diet, but I always leave room for dessert.
I respect myself. I have very high expectations for myself.
I think that I've always represented self-empowerment, you being your best cheerleader, you always affirming yourself. I've always been about empowering people. It sounds very cliche in a way, but it's not.
I've always wanted people to feel great about themselves, for people to know how special they are and really love themselves and accept themselves and celebrate themselves.
I think it's important as artists to always keep creating and always have stuff in the archive because you never know when you will need them. I'm that kind of artist. I always plan.
Everybody deserves to showcase their different talents and there's always somebody new you can tap into.
We get inspired and we learn new things.
You know, many people do not know that I am so immersed when it comes to music. I have such a huge knowledge of music. I like my songs, I like my melodies, my harmonies, you know.
I don't get intimidated, you know. Because I feel like when you get intimidated, you become nervous, and then you turn to fear.
I think that people are taking our artistry a little more serious compared to when we started. They are of course fascinated and entertained by who we are as performers and what we do in terms of our artistry, but a lot of viewers identify with us as human beings. I think that that has helped change how people view drag.
Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Rihanna, all of these artists that we do love - you see so much of what we do, the personas, makeup, hair, fashion - like, all of is now incorporated in pop culture, and a lot of it has to do with drag, because we over-exaggerate everything, right? We take it out to the next level.
A lot of my fans and supporters have been asking for an album.
I'm very excited to be able to take the Jungle Kitty experience to different places and travel with it and meet all the different jungle kitties out there.
Of course, Jungle Kitty got really famous when I was doing it on 'All Stars 3.' I was just writing the song, and the words came out - that was the state of mind i was in.
I always keep my word.
You have to the good and you have to take the bad. I don't take the bad. I only take the good.
It's very important that when we have platforms like 'Drag Race,' we use them to really unite forces.
I might not the best seamstress, I might not know how to sew, but I know how to make a garment look like a million dollars.
Dressing up like a woman does not make me less of a man.
Generally speaking, the term, 'vanity,' itself can be perceived as negative, superficial and egotistical, but I see it as being unapologetic for celebrating other sides of my artistry.
When I started performing, there wasn't Facebook and Social Media was not huge as it is now.
Prior to the online platform, I had to make sure I go around and have conversations and go to schools and make appearances. But now with online presence, I try to put out videos and different posts every day. I try to inspire.
I feel like when you call us drag queens, it stereotypes us. It puts us as labels and I feel like we are performers.
I feel like I am just an entertainer. It does not matter what form I take to perform and entertain. I think I deserve being called a performer because you don't call Tyler Perry a drag queen. You don't call Will Smith a drag queen and all the other mainstream artists who use the aesthetic of drag to entertain.
Drag Race' is a competition.
To me, Jungle Kitty is a frame of mind where you don't apologize for who you are. You're very ferocious, you're a free spirit, you're outgoing. You don't conform to labels. It's really that side of me... she's so regal and she's so royal.
I don't let the fans rule my world and rule what I do, or how I do it, because as artists we give what we give and you receive how you want to receive.
I had always wanted to do a show of girls of color, a show that showcased diversity.
At the end of the day, I come from a culture and an upbringing where you create your own path. There is no seat at the table for you? You create your own opportunity.
For so many years women have reached out to drag entertainers asking for help or advice with their style, makeup or they just want to be our friends.
On stage, we embrace every ounce of ourselves, we celebrate who we are, we are honest and live our truth - and we inspire people to do the same.
People sometimes think that drag queens are always really confident and fearless because we transform ourselves into these beautiful creatures, and they believe that it's how we live our everyday lives.
Anybody who has been following me right from the get-go, even prior to being on 'Drag Race,' has known that my platform has always been about spreading love and spreading light and celebrating identity. It's always been very positive because I feel like we need that.
You don't gotta let the girls know you're sweating, honey.
I'm a nurturer by nature!
I have a motherly instinct and I'm always trying to give therapy.
I like to compete with the best.
I hope I don't come off as being cocky.
People love culture and authenticity.
I feel that my winning 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and also being all the way from Africa gave people the audacity to just be themselves, all while encouraging and inspiring many people back home.
People always ask me, how did you grow up to be so confident? I tell them, I always look in the mirror and say I belong, you are so beautiful and you are meant to be here.
There are a lot of BeBe Zahara Benets in Africa. It's important that our continent can move forward, and respect diversity.
I don't have anything to prove because I've already validated myself and my work speaks for itself.