From Selected Writings by Marcel Christian LaBeija ©1988 & 2002 in Legends, Statements & Stars Magazine Feb 2003 Marcel Photo credit Edwin Lugo
Hip-Hop, let’s start!
To tell this story right from the start
It takes a lot of heart
Of what goes down
On the Marathon Circuit
It takes a whole lot of words
For you to know the deal
Cherisse Ebony won a trophy
Just for being real
For looking like a man
The face, the effect
What do you expect?
She’s the best butch yet.
So right there
Come here now
The carnival has come to town
Watch this show
This sets the test
Who will win
And be the best
Who will walk?
And who will not
Who will start?
And who will stop
The Legends there are
watching you
So what is it you plan to do?
To win that trophy from that man
Even though he is your friend
But he’s a La Beija
And you are not
Your house comes first and that is that
Winning trophies when you better
That takes you up the Drag Ball ladder
You wannna be a star and this you know
So get your tens and take the show
Get your money and the awards
So you can pretend that you are bored
With this and that and all and such
Oh Please, Miss Thing you are too much.
Too much for coffee
Too much for t ea
If you walking for Grand
You’re too much for me.
You want that trophy eleven feet tall
You can win one at a Drag Ball
A twelve-hour affair, half around the clock
It’s a series of contest
Somebody’s got to win
If you can’t take it then clap for a friend
You got First place
He got GRAND Prize
You were a nine
He was a ten.
Michael Ebony, a real good looker
Walked in a category “Male Hooker”
He was the best of the butch queen men
Ten, ten, ten, ten, ten
Give him the money, the cash award
Cause he’s got face, face, face.
Margo—she’s no longer here
But when she was
You could hear the crowd cheer
And call her legendary names
She is gone but she left her fame
For all to remember, from June to December
We salute, Margo in Tribute.
The pop, dip and spin for the performance whiz
The bangy boy for the homeboy kid
For business wear and all the effect
You have to shop and collect
And bring forth to the Judges all you need
For you to win and them to be pleased
Cause you wanna give it to you.
But you must try
To convince the Panel
Your look is no lie
Your attempt is real
Your clothes cost money
You know the deal honey.
It’s a Merry-Go-Round, this Marathon Circuit
When you get ball fever, you can’t
desert it
So hit the floor and let them judge.
Make them give you what you want
You can make them budge
Serve punishment all over the place
You have a luscious body, unspookable face
You walk in lovely heels
You have a lovely chest
You’re a Grand prizewinner
You’re one of the best
You have the crowd behind you
They’re for your cause
Judges give you awards
They give you applause
Judges give you tens
They give you respect
All you have to do
Is give the effect
All you have to do
Is simply be real
Put on a dress
You know the deal
The circus is in town
Get on the Merry-Go-Round
Cause everything is perfect on the Marathon Circuit.
Ballroom Quotable:
“There are different definitions of a house on a 1 thru 10 scale that range from negative to positive. A house should have all the rudiments of family and could function like one. Unfortunately it could be dysfunctional, but I hope that house members would be supportive and have a relationship that is positive and encourage one another.”
(The name “LaBeija” has been corrected.)
