Shuga Cain from RuPaul’s Drag Race visits Arizona for Dragalicious: A Drag Convention

By Laura Latzko; photos courtesy of Shuga Cain

His love of candy and baking inspired Jesus Martinez in the creation of Shuga Cain, a colorful drag queen who can bake but also bring fierce, theatrical looks. The drag queen appeared on season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Shuga Cain will visit Phoenix on Sun., Sept. 1 as part of

ArizonaDrag.com’s Dragalicious: A Drag Convention at the Cash Nightclub and

Lounge.  

The New York-based drag queen stood out on season 11 with her Charo impression and purple evening gown from the “Snatch Game at Sea” episode and her Donald-Trump-inspired look during the runway for the “Trump: The Rusical” episode.

She was the oldest contestant of the season but also one of

the newest to drag. She had been performing full-time for a year and nine

months when she went on the show.  

Her name was inspired by Shug Avery, her favorite character from The Color Purple.

She gave up a corporate job as a media producer to pursue drag full-time, a decision she doesn’t regret.

Before doing drag, the drag queen had a musical theater

background. She has been performing since childhood and has a master’s degree

in opera performance.  

She has learned a lot from YouTube but also has had a strong

mentor in singer, songwriter, playwright and drag performer Shequida Hall.  

Since doing the show, Shuga Cain has been performing around

the country and has appeared in a Pepsi commercial. She also has had a chance

to work with comedian and actress Charo and open for Iggy Azalea.  

She and Justin Salinas recently started hosting the cooking

series “Gimme Some Shuga,” which is available for viewing through the Wow

Presents PLUS! steaming service.   

New-York-based drag queen Shuga Cain appeared on season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

In the future, she hopes to perform in drag on film and on Broadway, release her own album and travel with her one-woman show to Central and Latin America.

Shuga Cain talked about some new endeavors, including her career as a drag queen and her experience on RuPaul’s Drag Race, during a recent phone interview.

Echo: Tell me more about your cooking series.

Cain: Cooking has

always been a love of mine. I’ve done it since I was a young kid. We’re

teaching the kids how to decorate cakes, very simple things that people can do

at home. It’s a lot of fun. We are mixing drag into it…We’re recreating

different iconic looks from the many seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” I have an

amazing co-host named Justin, who is a professional cake decorator.

Echo: Do you feel like that’s expanded how people see your

character Shuga Cain?

Cain: I used to

have an online bakery. So, baking is definitely something that I want to grow

into. I want to have my own bakery. I have my own cooking show, but I would

love to be able to expand that. So, cooking is something that is definitely

very much a part of Shuga Cain. Anything with candy and anything with sweets.

Echo: It sounds like it didn’t take you long to figure out who

you wanted to be as a drag performer.

Cain: I always

say Shuga Cain is the best parts of myself. She is much more outgoing and

willing to do all of these crazy things. I don’t feel like it’s different from

who I am as a person. It’s still very loving. It’s still very fun, all of the

things that are a part of me.

Echo: Has your corporate background helped you in doing drag?

Cain: As a drag queen, I definitely approach this with a business mindset. I’m very much trying to think of myself as a business. We have to market ourselves. We are the only ones managing ourselves. So, it has helped me immensely, especially now after “Drag Race” because we are incredibly busy.

Echo:Did you have any favorite musical theater roles growing

up?

Cain: One of my iconic roles was playing Angel in Rent. I played that in the San Francisco Bay area. That was always a dream of mine. That was my first dabble in drag and meshing the two together, singing and drag. Actually, when I first started doing drag here in New York City, I sang all the time. I always sang. I don’t sing that much anymore, but I’m slowly trying to reincorporate that again.

Echo: What was your first time doing drag?

Cain: I was at

the pride march at New York Pride Week. I am a part of a running group called

Front Runners New York. It’s an LGBTQ running group. I just happened one day to

be like, “I’m going to dress in drag and march in the parade with my running

group.” Everyone liked it, and they thought it was cool. And then they were

holding a talent competition, our running group, so I decided to do that. I did

drag twice a year for three years, and then I got the bug and decided to pursue

it more seriously.

Echo: When you first decided to walk away from the corporate

world and do drag full time, was that a scary time?

Cain: I think I got really scared after a year and some change when I was running out of money and had to take a corporate job again. During that time, I was auditioning for Drag Race. You get to this point where you make a decision. Are you going to really pursue something, or are you going to have a hobby? I decided to really commit myself, work harder and try to figure it out. When I decided to do that, that’s when Drag Race called me and said they wanted me.

Echo: What did you hope to accomplish by doing RuPaul’s Drag Race?"

Shuga Cain

Cain: Well, I had

hoped to win, as we all do. For me, it was having a platform, especially as a

young, gay Latino male. It is very hard for us to be gay, and my family is very

traditional. I just wanted to show other young Latino kids that you can be

whoever you are. If you dedicate yourself and work really hard, you can achieve

amazing things, whatever it is. I just happened to choose drag.

Echo: What did Charo think of your impression of her on “Snatch

Game?”

Cain: She loved

it. She said it was better than her, and my maracas were better than hers.

Echo: It sounds like choosing that character wasn’t too tough

for you?

Cain: We grew up watching her as young kids. When I auditioned, she wasn’t part of a group of characters that I did. Along the way, as I was getting ready for the show, I was like, “Oh my God, I have to do her.”

Echo: Being a new performer, do you feel like you’ve had to prove yourself, or did RuPaul’s Drag Race help you to do that? 

Cain: Before that, I definitely felt like I had a lot to prove. A lot of girls, especially in New York City, have been doing drag for so long and are staples. I felt like I had to prove that I was worthy enough to be on “Drag Race.” I try not to worry about what other people think, but you hear through the grapevine. I did have a lot to prove. I’m proud of what I did on the show. Now, it’s just having fun and showing different sides of me that they didn’t get to see on the show.

Dragalicious: A Drag

Convention

Doors open at noon on Sept. 1 at The Cash Nightclub and Lounge, 1730 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix. General admission is $20. A $35 VIP ticket includes a meet-and-greet with Shuga Cain.

WhistlePig + Alfa Romeo F1

SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.

The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.

Keep readingShow less
by Spectrum Medical Care Center

Nurse Practitioner Ari Kravitz

When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.

I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.

Keep readingShow less

Descanso Resort swimming pool and lounge area

Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!

Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.

Keep readingShow less