Who??? Jayplay writer Matt Beat interviews RuPaul
RuPaul is back with a new album and a nationwide tour. The album, Red Hot, is in stores everywhere. Rus says the new album "exemplifies everything that I listen to," and represents every style of music except country and rock. To preview the album, check out www.rupaul.com.
Q&A with RuPaul
Q&A with RuPaul You took a four-year break from show biz. How did you spend the time?
Being a human being again. I spend a lot of time reconnecting with my family, my friends and myself. After I hit it big, I just kept working and doing everything I could to stay successful, because that's what you have to do if you don't want to be forgotten. I spent so many years working that my personal life was being sacrificed.
Drag queens here look up to you. What advice would you give to those just starting out?
You have to really love what you do and you have to keep learning. I had to learn from all of my experiences. And you're going to have to give yourself time to learn from everything you do.
Your real name is RuPaul Andre Charles. Does anyone in the world have a cooler name?
I would say Chaka Kahn. My friends call me Ru.
Do you have any preferences in makeup?
Makeup is all the same stuff. Really, all you need is good foundation. As long as you have the right tools, brushes and sponges and you practice, practice practice, you will look good.
Have you ever been to Lawrence?
Well, I don't think so, but isn't that where that TV movie The Day After takes place? You know, the one about the nuclear fallout?
Yeah. I might have driven through Lawrence one time.
Oh yeah, it is.
I'm going to Manhattan in a month for the first time. What advice can you give me?
Which part of Manhattan are you staying?
Midtown.
Midtown is really just the tourist area, it's not Manhattan. You need to go to downtown, below 14 $^{\mathrm{th}}$ and 23 $^{\mathrm{rd}}$ Streets. The Village is where it's happening. It's the heartbeat of art and culture in New
York. It's not as funky as it used to be, but you're from Kansas so you'll love it.
Who is your favorite Disney-star turned-pop-star and why?
A girl named Rhona. Her album actually got pulled after being released. She had a great voice, but it just never happened for her. Raven (from That's So Raven) is another favorite of mine.
You used to sell used cars. What's your favorite car movie?
Smokey and the Bandit. I love Burt Reynolds in that movie. And I love the Trans Am he drove. They were big back then, I think it was in '77. And I also love all the James Bond movies because of the cars.
How about western movies?
What's your favorite John Wayne movie?
The Quiet Man. There's a really funny part of the movie in the first five minutes of the movie where (Wayne) describes all of these places to someone and then tells him "Don't go there." But my favorite western movie of all time is Blazing Saddles.