Playlist: Serving Banjee Realness

Miss Vanjie … Miss Vanjie …

Written by C.S. Harper

Illustrated by Nora Sharaf

“Banji [sic]. Looking like the boy that robbed you a few minutes before you came to Paris’ ball,” says a ball attendee in the seminal 1990 ballroom documentary “Paris is Burning.” In less offensive terms, banjee is a queer Black or Latine (usually masculine-of-center) person who dresses in streetwear. Although “Paris is Burning” shows that the word “banjee” originally had derogatory connotations in the late 20th century, modern artists like Aja Labeija and Freddie have proudly reclaimed the term as part of their respective brands. But despite the rising visibility of ballroom with recent phenomena like FX’s “Pose” and Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE, banjee culture hasn’t quite broken into the mainstream. In honor of banjee boys and girls (and everything in between), here’s a playlist of tracks from artists affiliated with the scene to raise awareness and appreciation for the culture.