James Baldwin’s 1974 novel,
If Beale Street Could Talk, has a passage about pursuing a career in music that is still relevant today: “She was twenty and had come to realize that, though she had a voice, she wasn’t a singer; that to endure and embrace the life of a singer demanded a whole lot more than a voice.”
Musicians who come to this realization they all eventually do must make a choice: Accept all that comes when a career becomes a life to endure, quit show business like the character in Baldwin’s book, or change with intention, rebuilding yourself from the residue of a dream deferred.
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Get Inside: Nine Things To Do While You’re Stuck at Home This Week See drag queens both famous and local, go roller skating and catch up on the TV murder mystery of the moment. IMAGE: Joseph Blake Jr.
GO: Drive ‘N Drag Saves 2021 It’s not the only drag show of the week (see feature, next page), but at least this one allows in-person attendance. Drag drive-ins were one of the most novel pandemic pivots, particularly in Portland, which saw the legendary Darcelle perform at Zidell Yards and local queens entertain customers waiting for pickup orders at Shine Distillery. This tour, however, is perhaps the biggest application of the concept, with appearances by recent RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Rosé and Gottmik, the latter being the first transgender man to ever compete on the show.
Rolling Stone Menu How Shelley, Formerly Known as D.R.A.M., Found His True Voice
The musician once known as D.R.A.M. has returned with a new album. He discusses going by his first name and staying true to himself
By Alex Harper
The year 2018 might as well have been a decade ago. Pandemic languishing notwithstanding, things move quickly these days. The musician formerly known as D.R.A.M., or Big Baby D.R.A.M. depending on who you asked, knows this better than anyone. Born Shelley Massenburg-Smith, he was at the forefront of a generation that rose to quick stardom thanks to platforms like Soundcloud. His singles “Cha Cha,” and the Lil Yachty assisted “Broccoli” were, for a time, inescapable. But the fame that accompanied his early rise didn’t come without its drawbacks. Over Zoom, Shelly tells me about the lifestyle that almost sent his career in a completely different direction. “My lifestyle didn’t match the music that I was elevating and creat