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BeBe Zahara Benet

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BeBe Zahara Benet
BeBe Zahara Benet in June 2009
Born
Nea Marshall Kudi

(1981-03-20) 20 March 1981 (age 43)
Cameroon
CitizenshipCameroon
Occupation(s)Drag performer, Singer
Years active1997 – present
Known forRuPaul's Drag Race (season 1) winner
SuccessorTyra Sanchez

Nea Marshall Kudi (born March 20, 1981), better known as BeBe Zahara Benet, is a former male model, a drag queen from Cameroon and winner of the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar" from the first season of the popular reality television series RuPaul's Drag Race.[1]

Biography

Kudi's first experience with drag was at a Paris fashion show, where he was asked to put on a dress to walk the runway as a female at the last minute when a model didn't show up.[2] Kudi describes his drag persona Bebe as "a strong and beautiful character illusion created for entertainment and the artistic expression of the feminine."[3]

Career

Music

Benet's first dance single, "I'm the Sh*t" was released on November 16, 2009.[3] The single has been remixed by such notable remixers as Felix Baumgartner, Ralphi Rosario and Mark Picchiotti.[4] He released his sophomore single "Cameroon" in July 2010. Benet made a cameo appearance in the music video for Erasure's re-release of their song, A Little Respect, in December 2010 (which was a fundraiser for students of the Harvey Milk Institute in San Francisco. He released his third single "Dirty Drums" on April 17, 2012 via iTunes.[5] He is set to release his first full-length album in 2014. Preceding his debut album is the lead single "Face," released on March 3, 2014.

Television

Benet won the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar" on the first season of Logo's popular reality series, RuPaul's Drag Race, which premiered on the network in February 2009. Benet's prizes included an l.a. eyeworks print ad campaign, US$20,000 from Absolut Vodka and MAC Cosmetics, a fashion spread in Paper magazine, and a spot on the national Absolut Pride tour.[6] In 2011, he appeared in two episodes of RuPaul's Drag U where he served as a drag professor.

Personal life

Kudi resides in New York City. Upon arriving in the United States from France, Kudi first settled in Minneapolis to be closer to family.[7]

Discography

Singles

References

  1. ^ "Out Magazine | Out 100 2009". Out.com. 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  2. ^ "Absolut Dirty Martini - Bebe Zahara Bennet". Logo TV. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  3. ^ a b "Niet compatibele browser". Facebook. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  4. ^ "Bebe Zahara Benet - I'm The Sh*t (Incl. Felix Baumgartner & Ralphi Rosario Mixes) - Traxsource.com - the best House Music WAV and MP3 downloads". Traxsource.com. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ Sabancontact, Stephen (2009-03-31). "Let the Prizes Begin!". Worldofwonder.net. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Juergens, Brian (2009-03-25). "Interview with the next drag superstar BeBe Zahara Benet". AfterElton.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2010-03-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
First RuPaul's Drag Race winner
Season 1 (2009) 		Succeeded by
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