RuPaul Explains The Difficulties of Go-Go Dancing in 1988

[@bartolomeestebanmurillo4459]

When Ru says it gets better, believe him. He worked from the bottom, he climbed to the top from his early days in New York. He talks about 1988 being a dark year for him and makes no bones about it, he was sleeping on friends' couches, battling addiction, losing friends to the AIDS crisis. He's a true inspiration about fighting for your dreams.

[@cosch4862]

👄

[@UltimateGenosyko]

Co Sch lol wtf

[@TheDondon14]

@Great Lakes you're disgusting

[@shakawalker1249]

@Great Lakes kinda

[@gumiho8352]

@Great Lakes You're preaching sex. But you yourself said whatever they do is no one's business so why make it your personal business to try to make it something horrible? Why does it bother you so much when it has no effect in YOUR life.

[@saltlessbread]

this is the type of things the young drag race fans need to see. Theres so much to rupaul than what's on the show.. He went all of this hard life and created a safe place for drag queens to work and thrive. Much respect to mother.

[@yumiko0017]

I agreed it’s literally not a trend or trying to look pretty. It’s serious business. They need to learn about Dancehall/Vogue too.

[@thatonedude249]

@@yumiko0017 what does dancehall have to do with this?

[@yumiko0017]

@@thatonedude249 I said “too” they need to learn about the origins of it. Follow my instructions.

[@thatonedude249]

@@yumiko0017 we talking about different dancehalls probably

[@imxel2193]

@@yumiko0017 it’s ballroom not dancehall, dancehall is strictly a Jamaican culture

[@knucklehoagies]

Being gay in the 80s let alone dressing in drag was pretty dangerous. Getting beat up for it was way more common.

[@kyfresh2death]

I didn't know it was like that

[@therockbottom5256]

Queens of the 80’s were truly the epitome of “the best of both worlds” beautiful femininity + the ability to protect themselves smartly

[@kyfresh2death]

I'm not gay but some of those gays needed to learn kung fu and then some of them wouldn't get beat up.

[@Quaczar1]

You gotta remember Ru was working in NYC in the village on the lower east side of Manhattan. These things were more or less common practice more so in the eighties and especially in the village. I grew up on the lower east side of Manhattan so I know first hand. After 8:00 pm u would see a drag Queen or four and it wasn’t weird or crazy. My mother actually used to party at the club that RuPaul used to dance in called the Pyramid. It was round that time period too. The mid to late eighties. I always heard my mother and her friends talking about it and watched them get ready on the weekends to go clubbing.

[@Tasty_Tango45]

diare Jones that’s like telling kids in America to wear bulletproof vests to school everyday.

[@kitnkabootle]

I don’t know why but seeing Rupaul lip syncing to the radio in the convenience store in the middle of the night looking rough but sounding so sweet and soft just makes me cry.

[@mikea6966]

That's the Real Rupaul girl!!!

[@bocolatebhipbookie]

omg i thought it was just bc im high me too

[@dewilew2137]

🙄🙄🙄

[@seanyfaulkner7106]

Thats you realising that things can get better ❤

[@drabnerd]

@@dewilew2137what you rolling your eyes for?

[@FindingNe]

Why do I feel nostalgic watching this?? Such an interesting vibe just everything about it is so interesting

[@billydeguzman8985]

Ikr gives me chills

[@brazil7057]

Absolutely agree!!

[@ixamthestranger]

I know, I need more. I'm addicted.

[@jennlush3516]

I think bc it's so natural, candid. It's a slice of real life. You're observing moments through someone else's eyes, so I think that's why these home videos can feel so endearing and familiar. It feels like you're there too, at times. It also has a lot to do with Nelson, because he's so present when he films. He's not doing it for the views, the clicks, he's doing it to show you what his life was like and all the interesting people in it.. and that is (what I think) makes these so special

[@marlopez4179]

Freedom

[@coffycup75]

The struggle was real back then. There was no Divine's Drag Race; she had already passed by this time. RuPaul changed the game, but here she is just another girl of the world with dreams for something better, trying to make ends meet. I have so much respect for this legendary mother.

[@Babyvalkyie]

Force Marker yet here you are on a RuPaul video...and not a very mainstream one at that 🧐 what you running from baby

[@begoodorbegoodatit2271]

+alfred arroyo I can handle the crown of a King....although, as a female, it may be a little big....I do thank you for enjoying my smackdown though..😜🤘

[@begoodorbegoodatit2271]

+alfred arroyo No apologies needed.....your respect shall suffice lol.....👊😋

[@belluhhh7140]

Divine's Drag Race would of been an amazing concept though

[@raynebow5289]

Speaking of rough edges, I am LIVING for that hairline and them cliff hangers!

[@josedaria2454]

"My lips are gone -- I kissed them away." Beautiful.

[@littlelagoons]

Me every time I go out dancing

[@NasikaSakura]

Really sad, actually. :( Ru was complaining how he let men touch him so he can pay his bills- not because he wanted to be touched. "It doesn't matter now," is a coping mechanism- to no longer think about the things that hurt you and act like it doesn't. I'm glad Ru seems much happier, stronger, and more secure now.

[@0BRAINS0]

I've heard stories about Ru Paul defending her/himself , apparently shim can fight.

[@austinbonde9041]

It’s actually VERY sad..

[@NasikaSakura]

@@austinbonde9041 Agreed.

[@meliorbutterfly]

2:07 becoming the happiest guy by just getting recorded by some stranger, just look at his nice smile so heartwarning

[@tatertott2390]

He has the BEST SMILE 😁!!!!! I WISH I KNEW HIS NAME !!!! 🌹

[@exosluckyone]

hes so cute 😭

[@novellacoleman4232]

IKR

[@Moistiest110]

Hahaha the dude seems cool

[@beatalockhart7441]

It wasn’t a stranger

[@sallythomas8599]

He looks so lost and alone in this clip, we've all been there those early morning hours leaving a club feeling awful, every emotion amplified. He looks more happy and vibrant now in 2021 than he did there. Good job Ru for becoming a healthier happier person x

[@InfiniteRhombus]

because he has millions of dollars

[@sallythomas8599]

@@InfiniteRhombus He earned every cent

[@NarcFreedom]

@@sallythomas8599 and allegedly invested in oil/gas fracking…

[@erroror7863]

@@NarcFreedom I BEG of you to do an ounce of research before you try to criticize someone about shit you know nothing about. He didn’t ”invest in fracking”. His husband inherited a ranch, where companies are fracking for oil. Legally majority of landowners in the state don’t have the rights to minerals under the land they own. So oil companies can frack on their land without permission, and there’s not much Rupaul or his husband can do about it. The least the companies can, and will do, is pay the landowners for the trouble.

[@garyaitcheson7394]

Hood

[@singitloud310]

The shops workers smile. I love how genuinely friendly and curious people were back then. Not afraid of eye contact and interactions with strangers. A society with out the extreme social anxiety we show today even in social settings. Sometimes I get mad when strangers talk to me.

[@gentleAsDoves777]

That's actually a really good point... I need to be more social and less inside my own bubble

[@uhhhhiii1807]

Woaaaah

[@Rainorshine004]

That's true. I grew up in a time of transition from w/o the internet mainstream, and the beginning of it. Most people were not at a school stop waiting for the bus, looking on their phones. So! Wow is it so weird for me to see it , in a way. I feel like, if you had social anxiety in those days, it was rough. But social anxiety in any day is hard. I do feel that people talked more to each other in those days tho.

[@tula1433]

No phone to stare down at during silent moments!

[@TenderNoodle]

Ain’t NO WAY ur saying this under a clip that shows how hard queer people had it in the 80s. People were not all filled with innocent friendly curiosity, they hate crimes anyone visibly queer in the streets and murdered them.

[@chuave152]

Who would have thought 28 years later she would win an Emmy. Amazing.

[@joeythomas361]

You could tell she was extraordinary

[@Randelliciouss]

Ikr, Just magical.

[@mostlyghostii2409]

chuave152 he

[@totalgarbage2053]

Travis Schpeltinger sir that is a beautiful woman you must be blind

[@kingpingwp4537]

Total Garbage hahahah

[@maddieroxx4eva]

I like Ru's look here tbh. I know its trashy but I like the trashy queen look

[@bluBlaq33]

Madison More trash drag is a very raw brand of drag.

[@barbarradevlin9111]

I do too! Whatever Ru wears, she makes it look gorgeous. Ru is a wholesome queen that came from rags to riches. This video makes me appreciate her even more!

[@MrKrayola13]

Well almost everyone looked like that in the 80s lol

[@victoriac8907]

Looks like a mix between Naomi and Adore in the 80's

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Salutes victoria

[@edusvg7]

Nobody is going to talk about that shot 2:00 - 2:25. This is honestly a beautiful camera sequence.

[@jenniferlaynemusic]

Excellent and true observation! Really awesome sequence.

[@TechGorilla1987]

Nelson Sullivan was a legend and a pioneer in the game. The man had the command of a camera and commanded an audience even if they never knew it.

[@Cherries956]

yoo the guy at 2:10 is so cute

[@lilith2598]

1:30

[@lilith2598]

I agree. All one long cut and the cameras exposure is PERFECT

[@kats.5958]

Oh man. I was a go-go dancer for 7 years and that is EXACTLY what I looked like rolling into Royal Farms at 4am after a gig in Baltimore 🤣

[@nicholas8484]

ahh maryland

[@timrob87]

Baltimore City-home sweet gritty home. And the Royal Farms are still mainstays for the night people.

[@kevina3372]

When you said Royal farms, for a second I thought the chicken was really world renowned, but then you said Baltimore 😢😂

[@lolzoya]

its so weird seeing peopel relaxed in NYC. everyone is always so rushed nowadays its nice to see people chillin in the grocery store.

[@tysonb3568]

Lol, its like 4: 30 am there. People in NYC still chill….lol

[@ChrisAzalea666]

Are u from New York?

[@ChrisAzalea666]

Because this is pretty common

[@tysonb3568]

@@ChrisAzalea666 Yeap

[@christinecollins6648]

We did relax more back then. That was my Deli- had seen Ru in there out of Drag

[@caliken10]

Ru is giving me Storm from the X-Men after a hard night of partying realness!

[@iMelanin]

kenneth taylor LMFAOOOO.

[@mathewcruz2184]

kenneth taylor hard night of hookin

[@themodernhippie9736]

Best comment in the comments section

[@lejealagrande7917]

Yas, the New York party life!! She her's now, awesome.

[@dpcisunbreakable]

Damn good reference!!!!

[@RBkidd510]

Going around filming in 1988 was such a different experience, look how excited that guy was at 2:06. Now every asshole has a smart phone and nobody cares anymore.

[@mcrowe7581]

+RBkidd510 2:06 was a really nice moment captured in time

[@Heramitep]

I thought exactly the same thing when he started waving looking so happy to be on camera!

[@ShartySpice]

Now you point your camera at someone and they beat your ass for it.

[@seanbrassman8135]

He knows them. That part was shot in the very large korean market directly across the street from the Pyramid and next-door to King Tut's Wa Wa hut. These guys would been in that market on a regular basis.

[@SpYx626]

Sean Brassman lmaoo, clocked everyone in the comment section 😆👌🏼

[@snatched.8135]

Rupaul was vlogging decades before it was a thing...

[@basil33]

RandomGus thanks to Nelson

[@blueriver4484]

No vlogging. Its called a home video or just a video with a camcorder. Im sorry but stop fucking calling it vlogging. Enough.

[@jeremiaslarrocca147]

@@blueriver4484 that was a fucking joke captein obvious

[@AureYlonen]

Blue River that’s a vlog

[@expensivething2657]

Nelson video taped everything. It's so funny seeing people react to him with his camera. It was probably really rare to see someone walking around videoing normal stuff.

[@hoobslice]

2:08 for some reason this guy made me really smile. I think it’s the sentimentality of the fact that back then, seeing someone recording something as they go about their life was rare.

[@alwaysdriven911]

I am a straight man and I have so much respect for him . He followed his dreams and want he wanted he needs an award

[@skinnygeisha]

💖

[@KEESHWASH]

Seriously!

[@lumi2798]

Hes won emmys for his show! Rupaul has made it so far and I'm proud!

[@ioanabbb5563]

and why did u think saying "i am a straight man" matters? who cares?

[@annwolf2127]

@@ioanabbb5563 because unfortunately there's a lot of hateful people in the world. I do agree it should be unnecessary, but not all people are accepting or welcoming.

[@marcosreyes3873]

This is a true fighter who wanted fame and came from the obscurity of New York and made success from nothing. You rock Ru Paul we love you!!!

[@millsykooksy4863]

Marcos Reyes truth

[@calcifer0102]

It was brought to my attention that she was apart of the club kids. Like wow... but whatever still like her

[@CashelOConnolly]

Marcos Reyes I don’t love RuPaul

[@nickelwindow538]

Asian guy on the fruit stand is a hottie 😍

[@madammediocre]

And he has some immaculately stacked fruit, too!

[@carolinebabie]

He could definitely get it

[@TGFriosania23]

Facts

[@simonnuman6840]

Idk why but I see early bruce lee when I see him

[@Barbie4U2]

He's probably 55 years old now.

[@jhonathanzaldivar4691]

This is amazing one of the queens that really changed the game. The fact that so many queens can make thousands now for doing drag is amazing. What a lot kids don’t know is that drag queens would make like $50 - $75 a night just so they could get food in their mouth. Rupaul is a legend for the empire he has built.

[@Srcsqwrn]

I hope the world can continue the progression into something much better for everyone.

[@beckysuperswag]

why couldn’t they get a regular job and do drag at night?

[@jhonathanzaldivar4691]

@@beckysuperswag because most of them were black trans women. So no one would give them a job anywhere else.

[@purplecleo]

For some reason this video touched my heart. The world is a gritty, often sad place. I wonder how Ru feels when he looks back on this video now.

[@1953childstar]

He will not "look back"...

[@whataboutredlorry]

I actually kinda love Rus look here. Yeah, its not polished and that hairline is so clockable. BUT even after the show, she's givng good face, she's giving 80s punk-club New York circuit. Tall and slender and even withoit polished makeup she looks 80s femme. Makeup in the 80s had a totally different aesthetic to now. Harsher colors and blush lines (even for bio women). Absolutely loving this glimpse back into 80s NYC, seeing the actual fashions and hair and makeup, how gritty NYC was... And you can see how modern films have tried and sometimes succeeded to capture this essence in making films set in the 80s,

[@イ乇刀丂乇ノ]

ok lol

[@miaaahhh9166]

Yeah it’s interesting the real 80s looks soo much more brown lol. The media always would make it look all colorful in the modern 80s movies

[@VENUS.SE7EN]

Everybody starts somewhere. Of course he's going to look completely different today than he did practically 30 years ago. Life isn't always a bed of roses. I don't mind Ru's appearance here; surely, it's gritty but it was also a reflection of the times he lived in. Although, it is sad to hear him talk about it, I actually appreciate seeing clips such as these because it's another inspirational story of how the struggles people face can really pay off. He specifically recalled the age of 28 as being one of the most darkest moments of his life. Having been born in 1960, these are some of the nightmarish events in 1988. The progress and differences he's made are remarkable and he has so earned the amounts of success. Love you, Ru! Fierce, fierce, fierce.

[@jonahfalcon1970]

She looks like a lot of girlz in their 20's did in 1988. Lady Bunny was THIN then :D

[@MissFlux]

freshprincess I could not have said it better .. Thankyou for having a head on your shoulders :)) We proud of our Mamma Ru. She made it through the worst years to be in the club scene .. it's seriously quite remarkable. With regards to her "get up" He always said he used to do "street walkers" .. the working girl tellin it like it is & all that. He grew up in all of this like you say, so I totally get what you're saying. So well written. Thankyou :))

[@robertocampano2089]

Very Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Boobalopbop]

We see why he loves Adore Delano so much... They’re just alike! 😆

[@_Jhsp_]

Adore Delano has the stuff too 😏✨

[@Morganbmoney]

Yea 🥰😍

[@janinexiameiren]

Yaaaa! 😁😍

[@wyonarosereacts369]

LITTERALLY 😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭

[@pnuthead13]

I do feel sometimes like Adore is just out of the timeline she should have been in. Love her and Ru

[@jc_solita]

i hope a queen will recreate this look to a runway if there's another Night of a Thousand Rupaul. i love the messy wig and hanging toes ❤️😅

[@robertoyeah]

I need this so bad!!

[@Kayleigh27]

I literally thought of that when I was watching that part 🤣

[@AxlAX]

You mean the Shake-N-Go wig and cliff hanger pumps? Haha that's how you start off! Then you make it big!

[@olir3868]

With a coke can aswell

[@tysonb3568]

Its called apple fritter foot! She had on a mule! 😂 Glow up hunty!

[@onleashfreak]

Wow. Just wow Ru. Look at him. He really did earn his place at the table. Even through that suffering and addiction you can still see that Ru that was love in there.

[@Kayte52]

Best add for Coca Cola I've ever seen.

[@millsykooksy4863]

Kayte52 Lmao

[@NatalieHawkinsMusic]

Absolutely! ❤️

[@NygilMr94]

this feels like a Wendy Williams after show.

[@shierocshieroc3735]

NygilMr94 Exactly what I was thinking.

[@cosmogirlsophie]

Lmfao

[@benisturning30]

😆

[@lynnlynn9124]

Far prettier than Wendell but still men in drag.

[@Joshadowolf]

Willam Belli?

[@lorenzopisces]

This man was born to be a star

[@stdylan]

@@ms.ravenwood so

[@moonbeeps]

@@stdylan ?

[@marcishears3774]

Omg I had never in my life till this very day, seen Rupaul looking soooooo busted ever. Like so 1988 grimey New York City realness lol. Literally to the point that he’s talking about how he basically let folks touch him for money damn! The rent is due and what he supposed to do? It makes you realize how so many people that we admire literally have to claw their way to the top. That he never gave up and look at him today. And I know it wasn’t easy at all. This video shows the struggle for real! Thanks for sharing! When I feel like giving up I’ll just watch this video!😄

[@michellegriff13]

Love seeing Rupaul break into lip sync while Crystal Gayle's "Don't it make my Brown Eye's Blue?" is playing in the store. Drag queens have such a deep respect for dance and music that it makes you love them even more!

[@nickd0301]

Rus high af lol

[@k_a_y_l_e_e]

i'm sayin lol

[@jenathent4840]

Yu Bichyu lol he said he had a lot of drinks looks more drunk than high to me

[@slappyslapster9560]

yeah that's drunk not high

[@Starboy-mp2ci]

Being drunk or high is the same thing I thought. You still can get a DWI.

[@RoCK3rAD]

Starboy 1988 dwi is alcohol a dui is the other stuff

[@CekaDStar]

OMG what I would give to be young and be friends with Ru during these times!!!

[@LS_777]

What would I give to be the young RuPaul these times...

[@nsyhjtjb367]

Ceka D, same I would kill to be friends with him then

[@dolphinswilltakeover]

He used to do drugs

[@KTCC13]

Scraping for scraps being a gogo dancer letting men grope you? You want that?

[@perelu3785]

Ceka D you'd have died LMFAO

[@IdentificaunNarcisista]

He looked so sad :(

[@alaly1027]

I thought he was little high. I mean he just left the club.

[@MG-hm2ip]

@@alaly1027 he said he had too many drinks in the video

[@alaly1027]

@@MG-hm2ip same difference. Ru seemed intoxicated on something to me, not sad.

[@xxfisherxxdonut7858]

She looked more tired to me

[@karliereddfan]

She was selling herself and its not a happy job

[@TheCookieFranco]

I’ve always wondered what happened to the cute Asian guy at 2:08...

[@karinr5168]

he grew up to be Randall Park

[@randomaestheticlyrics5903]

@@karinr5168 damn imagine

[@FumerPue]

He became kim chi.

[@chrisjleon89]

Omg I like him too, so cute

[@TheCookieFranco]

Christian Leon He’s probably a happy grandfather who lives in a nice house now after years of hard work.

[@PedroTawa]

Omg ru was so edgy I have never imagined him like this!!!!

[@FemmeThugJ]

2:10 was just so beautiful, i wonder were he is now. another times, another days.. where people would greet you with a legitimate warm smile on their faces. i really felt it. to think he might be gone by now..

[@khushigill8651]

I think he was excited because of the filming. I don't think everyone was going around vlogging and filming their lives back then.

[@FemmeThugJ]

nek nek true

[@erikperhs_]

Most of the people would meet Ru with hate in their faces, don't be fooled

[@masypca]

Watch rupauls Drag Race !!

[@FemmeThugJ]

@@erikperhs_ of that i’m well aware of

[@TheMastersuperblaste]

"just because I wanted the money" 😂😂 Ru, I feel you on that!!

[@sds420ss]

Master Superblaster right, gotta get that money honey.

[@TheEdoardoCC]

One Hoe feelin‘ another Hoe right ?! 😂

[@jasonkoster6169]

In the 80's everyone was a Hot Mess ..some made it thru and others just fell by the wayside. Applause too you Ru and all you've accomplished and more to come your way...

[@cynthiacordova13]

Ru Paul, totally 80s. Glad He made it out of the 80s, when so many didn't. Beautiful back then and now. What an Icon. The way He speaks then, sounds no different from today, very poised and proper. He Owns it. I Love Ru.

[@supergirl0526]

I think you hit the nail on the head of what makes this sad...thinking of all of the people who didn't make it out.

[@Iainmannixmusic]

Whenever I feel sad I watch this. RuPaul has such an incredible personality, it's addictive!!

[@Skrinklewink]

2:10 That was wholesome, his smile is contagious.

[@theYear_project]

Fr

[@daisygrantt]

2:27 lip syncing for her life!

[@juanpablosoto6335]

name of the song?

[@facuarroyo3249]

_I'm sorry my dear but you're up for elimination_

[@taitheehuman9032]

FaCu aRroYo OOP

[@vuittonaboy]

salem feathers lip syncing for her taste

[@mostlyghostii2409]

salem feathers him

[@bigstronkgorl2138]

I have so much respect for the older gays. They *really* had it rough and helped pave the way for us younger gens to have it easier. Specially Ru. I remember watching her on this old show called “The Truth About Jane”. Ru was the mothers best friend and helped her come to accept her daughters sexuality. Means a lot.

[@Stanlos]

This is both heartbreaking and frightening. Ru has obviously overcome a LOT.

[@ShartySpice]

This little store needed its own reality show!

[@Randomqtman]

Giuliana Rexic that is the power of rupaul

[@JustNess78]

I love the part where Ru is lipsyncing in the market. I played it over several times. LOVE! lol :)

[@MrJeffreysChannel]

JustNess78 me too....when I hear this I think of this part lol

[@Gmez759]

I wanna know the song lol

[@MrJeffreysChannel]

Dunder Mifflin brown eyes blue

[@paissssss]

JustNess78 she knows her some Crystal Gayle, loved that.

[@notaytguru8214]

He’s lip syncing for his life

[@rannierunsfast]

Lol that cute asian grocer.

[@LuneNova]

Make me think about Jackie Chan somehow

[@xsuns7508]

He's probably a grandpa now

[@Mgdr2011]

yes!! so cute!!!!

[@nursekat6497]

My heart goes to baby Ru. Working so hard, trying to numb themself and just surviving. But what made them a star is through all that haze they kept reaching, connecting and planning.

[@villaintina5522]

I always come back to it and watch it when I'm on hard times. It's inspirational to know what Ru went through and to see where's he at. And it pains me to see these New fans try to tear him down now.

[@cynthiagipson8039]

Wow her wigs costed 4 thousand dollars

[@shakawalker9921]

How are the new fans

[@lukethomas658]

Drunk, pawed at, and the talent just radiates...

[@SIyDoll]

It does! SO charismatic and beautiful.

[@VioletDiva]

He sounds kinda wasted... the 80's and vintage drugs LOL

[@InsaneNuYawka]

VioletDiva he said right at the beginning that he had several drinks

[@MissFlux]

VioletDiva Yass , late 80's .. Cocain was going out of fashion, heroin & new designer drugs were in .. made for a big mess in the 90' s ... I can tell ya .. I don't care if Ru was on anything, it's not like he's ever hidden the fact. The thing to focus on he his RISE!!! Clean & epic & a business mogul. I love Ru ru so much Aaaahh! I can't stand it! ❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️🙏🙌

[@wohdinhel]

VioletDiva it was the 80s. everyone was wasted. all the time.

[@tomhertz1614]

InsaneNuYawka Cocaine and whatever

[@tomhertz1614]

wohdin Wrong . Most people I knew were wasted

[@sz3544]

I love Ru. These experiences just encourage me to overcome difficulties in my life right now. If you have a dream and work for it, the dream will come true.

[@SIyDoll]

That's right! Ru is so inspiring.x

[@damondominique]

And no one was distracted on their phones. - me rn distracted from my own life by my phone

[@emmajeema]

I was not expecting to see you here but I shouldn't be surprised

[@jelinesolis4935]

em forde same 😆

[@CEDRICKB]

please

[@chillchill3320]

Salut damon ❤️

[@Hyshler]

DAMON!!🤎

[@Casp3r.aka.Droid.]

Nelson was a cousin of mine I never got to meet he died when I was literally a baby I only got to grow up watching Home Videos and hearing about him now he's famous again and I try to keep his memory alive as much as I can

[@mmma4158]

2:28 the original lipsync for your legacy

[@jamieakagibby]

They should use this song for a Lip Sync for your Life/Legacy on Drag Race...

[@natm.e4127]

02:09 well hello! Was he cute or is just me? 😂

[@ThePinkDragon92]

I completely agree, he certainly is 😍

[@catherinedeloise8089]

Not the only one gal.

[@reimisugimoto6819]

adorable

[@avaneeshnagre9846]

He was

[@chrisjleon89]

The smile

[@annakatherine3381]

its so inspiring that ru went from barely having money for her apartment to having a very popular 9 season show that won an emmy

[@babychloe22]

"its different from the water i have at my house" "what kind of water do you have at your house?" "brown" 💀

[@solarheartz]

watching this gives me such a weird feeling. it's like you can oddly compare it to watching your mother get ready for work and stopping by the corner store to get snacks to eat and a drink before you get dropped off at another relative's house to be taken care of for the day.

[@bridflower5408]

This comment gives me a weird feeling

[@solarheartz]

@@bridflower5408 as it should

[@twicepilled]

right

[@nicolescarlett2276]

Rupaul is such an inspiration to me. After watching this video and seeing the hard times he had, he inspires me even more. It just goes to show that if you are strong and keep trying, you could go from the street to being an Emmy award winning trailblazer. I have never heard RuPaul say he had these hard times either. He focuses on now. That makes me respect him even more.

[@youtubename7819]

He has openly talked about addiction and poverty a lot in the past. It’s just that he’s had 40 years to process it so nowadays he just listens to the next generation talk about their trauma and advises them.

[@losterx]

RuPaul giving Dida Ritz Realness

[@hugznotdrugs2]

losterx ahhhhh 😂😂😂

[@Guilherme-kk2tr]

kkkkk Cause reading is WHAT???

[@ariessupreme]

Hollllering 😂😂😂😂

[@niallbyrne6474]

omg yes lol

[@kimvanfelton3413]

I feel like young/new Drag Race fans should watch this. I feel like many of them don't really know Ru's history/struggles. Ru really is a self-made queen who deserves to enjoy his success and privacy.

[@KingGhidorah5464]

Someone who struggled so much like RuPaul did then using her hard-earned success to pave the way for people just like her so they don’t have to suffer the same hurt she did. Truly inspirational.

[@alexonline2340]

the part from 1:29 to 1:40 is such a beautiful camera sequence. nelson sullivan really is an amazing cinematographer, even for a video as simple as this one

[@emma199307]

00:50 "isn't that terrible?" I don't why I watched this so many times something about the way he says it just sounds so adorable ❤️

[@SapphireBurns]

Emma reminds me of this old lady i met at the mental hospital. She waa so sweet. But lord did she struggle

[@joelciojunior6575]

Amy Lee 😩 Me too

[@Kenlydford]

He sounds a lot like Nelson

[@RibbonVintageGirl]

Looking at Ru's from then to now, I'm very amazed by him. He's the definition of success.

[@RibbonVintageGirl]

*Ru's journey

[@jehouse61]

I remember hanging with Ru when he danced at Weekends in Atlanta. Best years of my nightlife!

[@darrenchichester9777]

jehouse61 same here! I wonder if we knew each other back then. He would go go on a low box because he is so tall. Ha. I would chat with him at the bar when he would take breaks.

[@MsFlamingFlamer]

y'all are so lucky

[@SweeetSue]

Yup, I was there, too ! I remember Ru dancing on the speakers. 👍 🎉

[@lf546]

This is so mesmerizing to watch. The truth, the boldness, the heart. Even though some controversy swung his way recently (fracking & stuff), I'm thankful for his effort and his platform. He's a visionary and still helps to push the art of other performers into the mainstream, a great work for our community.

[@kayb947]

Just love this. Back in the day , we cared for our friends.We looked after each other. Empathy and compassion were never a second thought.

[@commentor504]

I see ya Asian Orange guy

[@Existantia]

commentor5 rofl!

[@nayragrazielle]

2:05 He has a beautiful smile.

[@excellentviolet590]

It's actually Manila Luzon out of drag.

[@jasintz9245]

Jackie Chan

[@kikkasluca]

IKR! Beautiful!

[@maliksmom808]

It always amazes me seeing Ru back then and now. ALWAYS a lady. Graceful, poise, and a queen. Even thru struggle RU made way not just for himself but all of those who struggled and still struggle with who they are as well. He is truly a devine diva and quintessential queen. What a beauty to the world and a gift.

[@CarmenZynger]

Rupaul was so adorable as a young entertainer! What a total sweetheart.

[@colbyandbrennen3543]

These types of videos are so insightful and important to preserve

[@isabellam1936]

These videos documentaries Nelson created are true masterpieces of history and art. I wonder if RuPaul has sat down and watched all the old videos of her or if she knows of her old friend Nelson’s channel.

[@aeonjoey3d]

damz - RuPaul used to sound exactly like AJA!

[@archeryboy706]

aeonjoey damn he really did

[@ItsVannah]

I feel like ru when reviewing the casting (or shown the final selection) for each season, finds something in each girl that's in him. Because really I think every girl as a trait of his own, especially the winners. Like this is an odd combination of Aja and Tyra and maybe a hint of Shangela.

[@TheChannelJ1]

Honey, no. RuPaul doesn't sound like Aja. RuPaul came first. Aja sounds like RuPaul.

[@IPRAstrong]

This videos keep pulling me in!

[@rupaulcenter5906]

I actually kinda like this Ru more. Unadulterated and entirely unassuming. Just being himself, walking down the streets of New York crossdressing in 1988 and expecting the world to accept him. There's something so battered yet so naive, I adore it.

[@Quaczar1]

In the mid to late eighties my mother and her two best friends used to party at the club that RuPaul danced in. It was called the Pyramid. I used to over hear them talking about it and watched them get ready to go clubbing when I was little.

[@byakuyatogami2905]

Honestly seeing young, wild, less established Ru puts a lot of things about the show into perspective for me. The journey was incredible!

[@mrpurple11]

danm I was born that year, Now I have the same age as rupaul in this video and he was going for a rude time but so hungry for fame and succes.. he is talent and hard worker but most of all he is brave

[@dilondremel6346]

Little do they know that she will be the supermodel of the world

[@remotefaith]

*drag supermodel

[@dpcisunbreakable]

@Steven Gallant DO YOUR RESEARCH. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKicfYKofbprgKs

[@Tayra696]

I think they all knew

[@idadudenmanner]

Oh The Shade of Those Shoes. Cliffhangers beware!!

[@akikowilliams8369]

Ida Dudenmanner see how tall he is? Im not surprised a pair of women's shoes wouldn't fit him then.

[@indefatigable8193]

I’ve always loved her, ever since I was 10 and saw her in The Brady Bunch movie and then on VH1 a year later. She is a bright beacon of the optimistic 90s and one of America’s national treasures. Ru… continue to slay.

[@Joel-np9vl]

I love the guy waving at 2:07 by the look on his face I can tell he knew this video would be seen in the future amazing.

[@edoardom3677]

Everyone praising him for making to the top, but I kinda miss Rupaul this way, now he is kind of a preconfectionade product, this was him at his realest, doing his own make up, being his messy self, the cackling of his heels preceding him. There is something so sad in assimilation with the mainstream, even tho Im happy for his success I cant stop thinking abt what we lost of Rupaul's OG persona

[@namdjwox934]

he also grow up. people change. rupaul only lending his platform but people shouldnt ask much from an old man

[@Naisy77]

Nah sis bank account changed...she's still gritty and original

[@susaedu368]

I love Ru's voice. All of Ru is fabulous and the voice is super

[@boodoggy]

When I 1st moved to Atlanta in the early 80's, I had no idea who rupaul was. My apt in midtown had her name carved out on one of the doors. I later found out it was once hee apt. I should have saved the door.lol

[@MG-hm2ip]

Save that goddamn door🤣

[@boodoggy]

@@MG-hm2ip I wish I would have. The old building has been torn down and there is a highrise in it's place.

[@misterjib]

RuPaul miming Crystal Gayle in a late night grocery store. That's a wow moment right there. God bless Nelson and his fascinating friends.

[@Copium221]

Knowing where rupaul is now makes watching this bearable. The struggle is heartbreaking but he fucking made it. He made it.

[@AntonioAmador5236]

Y’all see those cliff hangers at 3:15... ooo gurl!

[@gabeash007]

Antonio Amador is she gonna jump from there?

[@magnifique7678]

Monique Heart: Naomi Smalls, Legs u are known for, however you should be known for toes, cause they're always hangin up. You know like in that 90's video Ru? When you were in the Bodega? Ru: Security!

[@introvertsounds7083]

@@magnifique7678 goodness that was she reffering too lol ahahaha

[@whospilledmybeans]

Rupaul is just one of those people born to be an entertainer they just stand out and are rememberable, and are good at what they do

[@aspazabetakh3969]

2:13 the cutest Asian man EVER 🌺🌙🌙

[@SkankNeurotique]

“I’m in show business”-RuPaul All of that hard work and tenacity certainly did pay off. 🤩🎉✨ #respect

[@Disturbia_drag]

So much respect for this person he is trully an inspiration not only to owr comunity but to every person outthere that comes from a dark and hard place in life it just shows you how you can make it if you beleave and follow your dreams

[@ruthharros1752]

"My lips are all gone I kissed it all away

[@thelastoneontheplanetearth]

i wish mine would go away

[@kyfresh2death]

My pimping is gone I pimped it away

[@lexieroper]

i need to see a movie made about nelson from nelson’s point of view! his camera shots are amazing and give an insane perspective into the 80’s

[@nelsonsullivanhd9908]

There's over 730 videos, watch them all I highly recommend it!