Today we’d like to introduce you to Hershii LiqCour.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hershii. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was little and stuck on Tyler Perry Plays, I used to throw on old wigs and play around with them in the basement writing my own plays and what not. Then around 15 YouTube started popping up, like it was BRAND NEW back when it meant something to have 1000 followers. So I hoped on and started making my own music videos.
Around this time, it was all for fun, I live in St. Louis MO. and came from a Christian Family so they already didn’t like the idea that I was making videos like his, so drag was defiantly not apart of the goal. I wanted to be an actor and producer.
So anyway, some years had passed by and I was doing my videos on and off when I saw a flyer for a “Drag” Competition in the local gay bar downtown. I figured hell I can do that my videos are funny enough; let me head down and compete and win the lil 500 dollars. I invited everyone I knew I was Excited I couldn’t WAIT to show off. This was my very first introduction to the actual profession of drag.
I walked in the dressing room with just my down shoes and performance outfit in a duffle bag and one pallet of dollar store eye shadow. Went into the dressing room and my mouth dropped to the damn floor. These queens had mirrors and suitcases and wigs and mall this hair and all these outfits and I’m just standing there looking a fool with my eye shadow. I didn’t know what else to do but run to the bathroom and cry.
A queen noticed and followed me into the bathroom and calmed me down after seeing I was an entire MESS. She and the other queens in the show each gave me something to help me out. One gave me a wig another some Jewelry another with my make up. The Judges were very harsh but I was something I’d come to appreciate later in my career.
I quit Drag after that night though after I already decided it was too damn much and I’d never do it again. It wasn’t until four years later, when my friend joked about me being a drag queen that I even had the nerve to get out and try in again. I had moved to Atlanta by then and that’s where Hershii was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
If I wasn’t so determined to be myself then I would have had a MUCH EASIER ride as far as drag is concerned. After getting bored in Atlanta, I moved here to Los Angeles in 2017 and Unlike Atlanta performing out here is all about the people you know and not too much about how good you perform.
Because I was a fresh face to many here, they assumed I was a new queen, and I guess that was true I had only been doing drag for two years by the time I got here but I still felt as through I had enough talent to be a paid act and nobody was gonna tell me different.
I had a few clashes with a queen or two about Pay and Racism that I’ve experienced being a black queen in California and for a while nobody was trying to hear it. I got on a lot of people’s bad side cause I was not willing to just sit aside a be treated any old type of way. That’s always been me.
The way I saw it was all these. queens in my face telling me how talented I was and how they couldn’t wait to see me perform or have me in their show but when it came down to cough up some money suddenly I needed to be more “Humble”
Most of my push back in my career has defiantly come from be not being scared to say, “You WILL NOT treat me this way”
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’ve coined the term “Glam Camp” My drag is a perfect mix of High Energy, Comedy, and Glamour. I’m known for and take pride in my tight lip syncs. Something that’s becoming a lost art in drag, girls hate to memorize their lyrics. Lol.
I most proud of my individuality when it comes to drag its easy to get lost because the business in so over-saturated with queens a lot of them become copy and paste versions of each other. I didn’t really have anybody to copy coming up some everything from my make up to my personal style and performance are all put together by me.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think it’s a great city to start in cause there are so many places to perform, but to be starting out I’d perform a smaller city with fewer queens. Drag to me is not something you can pick up one day and say “hey, I want to do this” it requires your commitment, your willingness to grow and a real passion. You gotta love this shit when it’s not paying the bills. That’s what makes a real queen to me.
There were times I would go out and do a show and get home at 3 am and have to be up for work at 6. Dragaint for the girls who just wanna be pretty or seen, you gotta be ready to work for this.
Our city can get caught up with wanting to see that cookie cut version of drag that’s only on TV but there are so many levels and images and art to be displayed when it comes to drag. So much talent and sometimes with mainstream success the “alternative” can get pushed out.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @HershiiLiqCour
- Twitter: @HershiiL
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