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BeBe Zahara Benet

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Bebe Zahara Benet
Benet at NUBIA NYC in 2020
Born
Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa

(1980-03-20) March 20, 1980 (age 44)
Douala, Cameroon
Occupations
Years activec. 2001–present
Known forRuPaul's Drag Race (season 1) winner and RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars contestant
SuccessorTyra Sanchez
Websitebebezaharabenet.net

Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa (born March 20, 1980), better known by his stage name BeBe Zahara Benet,[1] is a Cameroonian-American drag performer, television personality, and musician best known for winning the first season of the reality-television drag competition RuPaul's Drag Race in 2009. In 2018, he returned as a surprise contestant for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, placing in the top four.

His first EP, Face, was released in 2014, followed by his second EP, Kisses & Feathers, in 2017. His third EP, Broken English, was released in 2020. From 2019 to 2020, he starred in the TLC transformational makeover television series Dragnificent, as the event planning expert.[2] In 2021, Being Bebe, a film documenting 15 years of his life, was released.

Early life

Ngwa was born and raised in Cameroon.[3] While growing up, his father played the guitar and his mother frequently sang, later inspiring him to create music.[4] His family later moved to France where Ngwa lived until he settled in Minneapolis at age nineteen to complete his college studies and to be closer to family.[4][5][6]

Career

Benet'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 as a last-minute replacement for an absent model.[7] His first drag performance was alongside Cyndi Lauper in The Gay 90s bar after moving to Minneapolis in 2000.[8][9] She has participated in drag pageants, including Miss US of A.[10][11]

Benet at Twin Cities Pride in 2009

RuPaul's Drag Race and other television

In early 2009, after a suggestion from RuPaul himself after seeing him perform to "Circle of Life" at Minneapolis Pride, and encouragement from Chi Chi LaRue,[12] Ngwa auditioned for the first season of Logo's reality-TV drag-queen competition RuPaul's Drag Race.[13]

He eventually became one of nine queens cast in the season,[14] having been selected out of thousands of applicants.[9] He was the inaugural winner of the series, having won two challenges during the competition. Bebe's win would inspire many soon-to-be drag queens to pursue the art of drag, including eventual Drag Race season 8 winner Bob The Drag Queen.[15][16]

A lot of drag artists do exactly what — or even more than what — mainstream artists do. What we do in terms of our transformation, our music, our comedy, it's just legit artistry

—Ngwa, in a 2018 interview[9]

In 2011, Benet appeared in two episodes of RuPaul's Drag U, serving as a "drag professor".[17]

Benet was revealed as the surprise 10th contestant on the third season premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars,[18] becoming the first-ever winner in the show's history to return for an All-Stars season. He reached the season finale, having won two challenges, but was not chosen to advance to the final two by a jury of previously eliminated queens and subsequently finished in joint third place with Shangela.

Benet appeared with Jujubee, Thorgy Thor, and Alexis Michelle in the TLC television special Drag Me Down the Aisle which aired on March 9, 2019, and was later picked up as a series and re-titled Dragnificent.[2]

Music

Benet's first dance single, "I'm the Sh*t", has been remixed by Felix Baumgartner, Ralphi Rosario and Mark Picchiotti.[19] He released his second 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).[20] He released his third single "Dirty Drums" on April 17, 2012 via iTunes.[21] His fourth single, "Face," was released on March 3, 2014.[22]

Benet recorded a cover of "Little Drummer Boy" for the Drag Race Christmas Queens 4 album.[23]

Other ventures and tours

In November 2017, Ngwa was a featured performer in Queens United, a benefit show created by Phi Phi O'Hara in an effort to raise money to people affected by Hurricane Maria.[24] In 2018, Ngwa created "Roar", a monthly show featuring interacting dancing.[9]

In 2020, they co-created, produced, and headlined the Nubia tour, a live Drag Show celebrating Black drag queens through original music, group choreography, video installations, live vocals, lip syncs, and narrative-driven performance art. On opening night, Vulture.com praised the cast, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum; Bob The Drag Queen, Peppermint, Shea Couleé, The Vixen, and Monique Heart, noting the “touching sincerity” and “joyous” celebration of black culture featured in the show.

The tour began its run with sold-out shows in New York City, and has plans to visit Los Angeles, as well as other major cities across the United States.[25][26][27]

In June 2021, Ngwa will be featured in "Gospel Brunch Drag Show", an "LGBTQIA+ Youths Of Color Celebrate Black Pride" event, and the virtual "Pride Bigger Than Texas" event livestreamed from the Bonham Exchange.[28][29] In August 2021, they will be a featured performer and in Klub Kids London Presents: NOIR: The Tour, where 25% of the proceeds from the production will be donated to the Black Lives Matter movement.[30]

A documentary film titled Being Bebe premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival from June 19–23, 2021, and later screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival on June 23, 2021, and screened for three days. The film documented the past fifteen years of Ngwa's life as Bebe Zahara Benet, including his journey preparing for RuPaul's Drag Race.[31] The film won the 2021 Best Documentary Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.[32]

Outside of drag, Ngwa is the CEO of The Lavish Labs, an event planning and decor firm.[10]

Personal life

Prior to starting drag, he was a choir director and music teacher.[33] He doesn't consider himself a drag queen, and prefers to be called a "drag artist" or "drag performer".[9][33] Ngwa is a devout Christian.[34]

He has named Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, and Alphadi as personal fashion icons.[35] Musically, he has named Yvonne Chaka Chaka as his childhood music icon, and Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Angélique Kidjo, and Davido as musicians he’d like to collaborate with.[4]

Ngwa does not define his sexual orientation and accepts all pronouns.[36]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2020 Nubia: Amplified Themself OutTV original [37]
2021 Being Bebe Themself Documentary about Bebe's life [38]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2009 RuPaul's Drag Race Themself Contestant (Winner) [14]
2011 RuPaul's Drag U [17]
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Contestant (3rd/4th place) [18]
2019 Vice Live Guest [39]
2019–2020 Dragnificent Also known as Drag Me Down the Aisle [2]
2019 The Rachel Ray Show Guest [40]
2020 Infinity Train Sashay Episode: "The Parasite Car" [41]
2022 Nubia Amplified: The Series Themself Panelist [42]
2023 Drag Me to Dinner Hulu original reality series [43]

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2014 WOW Shopping Network Themself Guest [44]
Transformations [45]
2015 Drag Queens React [46]
2018 Whatcha Packin' [47]
Hey Qween! [48]
2019 Follow Me Episode: "Pangina Heals" [49]
2020 Bobbin' Around Episode: "Nubia" [50]
Binge Podcast by Entertainment Weekly [51]
2021 Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire presents Drag Queen Summer Glamp Produced by Jack Daniel's [52]

Music videos

Year Title Artist Ref.
2009 "Cover Girl" RuPaul ft. Bebe Zahara Benet
"I'm The Shit" Themself
2010 "A Little Respect" (HMI Redux) Erasure [53]
"Cameroon" Themself
2014 "Face"
2017 "Fun Tonite"
2018 "Jungle Kitty" [54]
"Jolene" Dolly Parton [55]
2018 "Little Drummer Boy" Themself [23]
2020 "Banjo" Themself [56]
"Body on Me" Themself [57]

Discography

Albums

Comedy albums

Title Details
Africa Is Not a Country[58]

Extended plays

Title Details
Face[4]
  • Release date: 2014
  • Label: Dakarai Morris-James/Marshall Ngwa
  • Formats: Digital download
Kisses & Feathers[4]
  • Release date: November 17, 2017
  • Label: Savannah Street Music
  • Formats: Digital download
Broken English[59]
The Christmas Chanteuse[60]

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Album Ref(s)
"I'm the Shit" 2009 Non-album single
"Cameroon" 2010
"Dirty Drums" 2012
"Face" 2014
"Get Fierce (Lose Yourself)" 2017 Kisses & Feathers [4]
"Fun Tonite"
"Starting a Fire"
"Dirty Drums/Cameroon" (All Stars Mix) 2018 Non-album single
"Jungle Kitty"
"Banjo" 2020 Broken English [33]
"Fever" 2021 Non-album single
"Waiting" 2022
"Smoke Signals"
"Pull Over" 2023
"Heavy"
"Try"
Title Year Other artist(s) Peak chart positions Album
US Elec.
[61]
"Drag Up Your Life" 2018 RuPaul, Trixie Mattel, Kennedy Davenport, Shangela, BenDeLaCreme — Non-album single
"Kitty Girl" RuPaul, Trixie Mattel, Kennedy Davenport, Shangela 18
"Winner Winner (Chicken Dinner Remix)"[62] 2021 Yvie Oddly, Brad Kemp, Shea Couleé —

Guest appearances

Title Year Album
"Cover Girl"
(RuPaul featuring BeBe Zahara Benet) 		2011 Jealous of My Boogie - The RuMixes
"Little Drummer Boy" 2018 Christmas Queens 4

References

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  2. ^ a b c "'Drag Me Down The Aisle' Is The New Drag Queen Wedding Show We All Need". Scary Mommy. 15 February 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
  3. ^ Peloquin, Jahna (February 2018). "RuPaul's Drag Race's BeBe Zahara Benet Talks About Her Style Evolution". Minnesota Monthly. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
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  54. ^ Damshenas, Sam (May 29, 2018). "Bebe Zahara Benet revives Jungle Kitty for her gag-worthy new video". GayTimes.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  55. ^ Freeman, Jon (December 12, 2018). "Watch 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Stars Perform Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  56. ^ Samanga, Rufaro (April 2, 2020). "Watch Cameroonian Drag Artist Bebe Zahara Benet's New Music Video for 'Banjo'". Okayafrica.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
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  60. ^ Nguyen, Nikki (December 10, 2021). "Listen to BeBe Zahara Benet's New EP 'Broken English'". The WOW Report. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
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  62. ^ "NEW MUSIC – "Winner Winner (Chicken Dinner Remix)" by Yvie Oddly Featuring BeBe Zahara Benet and Shea Couleé". The WOW Report. 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Inaugural
 Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race
US season 1 		Succeeded by
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