'RuPaul's Drag Race,' Season Six :: An Interview with Laganja Estranja

Week 8 of "Ru Paul's Drag Race" season 6 brought us a Chin Singing competition where Jocelyn won and was able to pick the order of the main challenge which was standup comedy. Trinity and Darienne were great, but the clear winner and my favorite contestant (am I repeating myself) was Bianca Del Rio, who just slaughtered this challenge.

The bottom 3 were Laganja, Ben and Jocelyn. I think Jocelyn shouldn't have been in the bottom 3, but she made the mistake of putting herself right before Bianca, who is known to be great on the microphone. In the end Jocelyn and Laganja were in the bottom 2 and battled it out with a in synch split that turned it. It was Laganja's time to go.

At what age did female impersonation become an interest & how did you pick your name?

I definitely think that drag has always been an interest even though as a kid I didn't know it was called Drag. But I always played with, my grandmother's pearls, make-up, etc. I became a drag queen about 2 years ago after I graduated college.

I am a huge legal Cannabis supporter, so I needed a name that would reflect that. I have used legal marijuana for 3 years now and I am off all the legal pharmaceuticals I was on before.

How many times did you apply to be on RPDR and how did it feel when you found out you got chosen?

This was the first time I applied. I was extremely shocked when I found out I was picked. My heart felt like it dropped like the tower of terror in Disney world. It was an indescribable feeling.

Tell me about your "RuPaul's Drag Race" experience?

Intense, crazy, amazing, fast paced. It something you cannot understand until you go through it. Obviously it was a huge life changer and it was worth every ounce of sweat.

How are you going to leverage your time on "Drag Race?"

Obviously it has already been a huge advantage. I just got back from traveling internationally. People now know my name and I can continue to grow from this opportunity. I am using drag race as a launch pad.

Who do you want to win?

I am rooting for my sister Adore, as she represents the young queens.

Tell me about the man behind Laganja?

Jay is in bed right now as he stayed up late watching the episode with his friends where he smoked a few blunts. He only needs three things in his life: Love, food and his career.

Tell me something people would be surprised to know about you.

I try and wear my heart on my sleeve, and I don't try to hide anything, so it's hard for me to answer this question. I think my portrayal was very accurate.

What's ahead for Laganja?

Last night I released my cosmetic line with X-tar cosmetics. It's an all-natural loose eye shadow and a primer. I also have a Jewelry line called " Laganja is my Enemy" with Chris Havana. I would like to release more products as I want to have an empire. I am currently working on a rap album.

To find out more about Laganja go to:
LaganjaEstranja.com
https://www.facebook.com/LaganjaEstranja
https://twitter.com/LaganjaEstranja