- Hey everybody, It's Michelle Visage.
Welcome to another episode Whatcha Packin'
(upbeat music)
Today, we are speaking to the queen hailing from Atlanta.
It is Lala Ri.
- Hey girl, Ms. Michelle.
- Now, I wanna say Hotlanta, but I don't know
if that's the thing anymore.
Do people still say?
- People really don't say that anymore,
but, you get a pass.
(both laugh)
- Did they ever say it Lala?
- They did, like in the 90s'.
- Ooh girl! Okay.
(Lala laughs)
No girl, you old.
You old, that's why!
(Lala laughs)
Alright, so I will take it.
- But its alright.
- Okay.
How are you Sugar? You look fantastic.
- Thank you so much, I feel fantastic,
I am amazing. I'm great.
- What was it like for you in this experience
representing Atlanta?
- I still can't believe it, you know,
the entire experience overall
was just so surreal and just mind blowing.
I got chosen to be on RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 13
especially with it being my first time auditioning.
I feel pretty good about it.
- And you got out there
and your first lip-sync against Denali, you win.
How did that make you feel?
- Oh, it made me feel like the queen of the world, honey!
I was like, "I won the first lip sync, honey.
I am here, honey."
They see I am here.
I have arrived.
- And what I loved about you,
and I think we all did, was your spirit.
You were always fun and ready to dance and ready to smile.
And when you got on that runway,
we knew that you were there because you let it be known.
Is that what you're known for in Atlanta?
- Oh yeah. That is uh, 100% Lala Ri.
The energy, the personality, the fun.
- What was your favorite look?
- My favorite look was definitely the train look.
The snake look.
- For me, drag, of course, is a whole production
and you have to look a certain way for me to buy it.
But confidence goes a very long way.
And what I loved about you was
you were out there to sell it,
- Yes indeed honey.
- and she sold it.
So then we get to the opposite end of the spectrum
and you're bottom two, for the ball.
So let's walk through that outfit.
- Whoo! Let's walk through it.
Let's walk through it, fast.
(both laugh)
- Let's move through it.
Let's just move through the fact
that you had bags glued to a corset.
Let's just talk about the elephant in the room.
(Lala chuckles)
How'd we come up with that Lala?
How'd that happen?
- Honestly, I went through so many ideas
for that particular challenge.
I'm not a sewer, at all, as we could see.
- Okay.
- And I was just trying to find a easy way out
to at least be safe for that week.
And what I came up with was a catastrophe.
(Michelle laughs)
I don't understand, to this day,
how I came up with that myself.
I just glued and glued.
And I said, whatever girl
we just gonna sell it on the runway
and hopefully get me through.
Well, that wasn't enough, but here we are.
- You sold it, but you forgot to bag it up and take it away.
- That part.
All the way away.
- Exactly.
And you went home on the Bossy Rossy challenge.
- Yes. I did.
- But, were you proud of the work that you did
while you were on the show?
- I was very proud of the work that I did.
I felt like I showed the world who Lala Ri was.
I gave a little bit of the Lala Ri experience, you know.
I was sad to go home a little early,
but that's alright, you know,
I made it on RuPaul's Drag Race
and that is a win in itself, you know?
So, I'm grateful for that.
- The runway looks at you did,
I probably know the answer to this, but
if you had a chance to do one over again and correct it
which one would it be?
- Hands down, the ball look.
(both laugh)
Hands down, no questions asked, no second guess.
- And his beautiful purple,
like even just sitting next to it,
this color on your skin is magical.
- Thank you.
- So this would have been your final look.
Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Who made this?
- I actually bought it from someone else.
I don't know the original designer of it.
I could not get a final gown made before the show
'cause you know, we are in a pandemic.
- Mhm.
- So I actually had to buy this from someone else.
Her name is Katie Cakes.
She's another drag queen that I work with in Atlanta.
And I bought this from her.
So.
- It's absolutely gorgeous.
So when you came in there, did you know anybody in advance?
- Well, I knew Tamisha Iman.
She, actually, was the first person to put me in drag.
So I guess she's considered like a drag mother to me.
So that was amazing to see her on the show.
- Oh my goodness.
I didn't realize that.
So she was the first person to put you in drag.
Did you meet her at one of the nightclubs?
Were you, like, at Charlie Brown's?
Tell me how that happened.
- Lips Atlanta was having auditions,
like, what, five years ago?
My friend was like, you should audition for this drag club.
- Mmm.
- Mind you, I wasn't doing drag at all.
I didn't have any desires to do drag or nothing like that.
He was like, you should be doing this drag thing.
It should work for you.
I'm like, girl, I don't want to be a man in a wig,
but whatever.
(both laugh)
He was like, "I'm going to introduce you
to Tamisha Iman" and she put me in drag.
I didn't get the job.
'Cause they was like, you're not ready for this.
- That's alright.
- Right! I was like, I know I'm not ready.
I don't even do this, but I kind of
fell in love with it after that first time
and Tamisha, kind of, took me under her wings
and kind of guided me through,
but we did stop talking.
So, I didn't speak with Tanisha before the show
for some years.
- Did something happen?
- Well, we kinda just, went our separate ways.
- Oh, you are being a lovely lady.
- You know.
- So when you saw her,
were you able to mend ways immediately?
- I didn't even think about the past.
I was just so excited to not only see
another Atlanta girl here
but also someone who put me in drag
and probably a little bit of the reason why I am here.
- Well, yeah.
And what did you learn about yourself
during this competition, Lala Ri?
- I learned to go forward,
do not hold back, give it all that you got and have fun.
- What do you say to the kids who think,
"Well, Lala because you didn't do this
and you didn't do that.
If I was on it, I would do this.
And I would do that."
What do you say to those kids who were thinking
that they're going to get there
and it's going to be a cakewalk?
- Oh, trust me.
It's not going to be easy at all girl.
You can think you can do what you want to do and do ex-
I said "I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that"
And girl, it was a epic fail.
(both laugh)
We saw the ball look.
- Let me see your nails.
Show me your nails.
- Oh yes girl.
- Ooh! Okay! Stiletto!
- I'm tryna be like you, when I grow up.
- Yes honey!
- I love it.
- Yes! Work! I love it.
So Lala Ri, if you made it to Snatch Game,
who were you going to play?
- I was going to play Big Freedia, the Queen Diva.
You best a believer
- Whoo!
- Girl don't.
- Yes! Oh, that would have been amazing.
Oh no.
- Maybe next time.
- There's always All Stars, honey.
- Well, there's always All Stars.
- Well, Lala Ri you have been a joy.
You are an amazing human.
I loved watching you every time you hit that runway.
I'm so glad that you're part of RuPaul's Drag Race,
Season 13 and you have been wonderful.
So thank you so much
for allowing me to judge you and for giving the world
the gift of Lala Ri.
- Thank you so much.
That really means a lot.
I mean like, honestly, it means a lot.
I thank you so much.
- Can't wait to see you and give you a big hug.
- Yes! Smooches!
- Yes. Mwah!
Thank you, baby.
- You're welcome, love.
- Thank you so much for joining me
for another episode of Watcha Packin'
I'll see you next time.
Bye.
(upbeat music)