Tonight is the premiere of season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and we’re ready to start our engines, as Nicki Minaj pledges allegiance to the drag as a guest judge. The first time we heard Nicki on a track, we knew she was a vibe. Her animated quips quickly became a signature part of her sound, and soon after, an accompanying look followed.
She leaves it all on the stage as if she were lip syncing for her life, marrying her unapologetic rap lyrics with moves better than a perfectly executed death-drop. Her colorful lace front wigs are endless, her makeup is creative, she serves bawdy with no padding, and sis knows a thing or two about reading someone. She’s everything we want in a drag queen.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Mrs. Petty pulled a Violet Chachki-like outfit change on the red carpet, or took off her wig only to reveal another dope wig underneath. If the category is Barbie realness, she’s getting tens across the board. Whether she’s twerking the runway down, rocking 35 inches (of hair that is), or working a full facekini, she serves up the best drag you’ve ever seen from a queen with no tuck.
So as we look forward to tonight’s premiere, we look back at all the times Nicki’s over the top style gave us (and the queens) the creative inspiration we need.
