Tall and talented model, actress, dancer and video vixen Tajh Jordan aka Flawless Shade has a genuine history of excellence in West Coast and digital drag (she was one of the few queens judged by RuPaul in a competition that wasn’t “Drag Race”!) as well as indie film. She’s fairly new to the NYC drag scene, but is already making waves here–and is booked and blessed this Pride Week!
Thotyssey: Flawless, hello again! I met you briefly at Playhouse on a recent “PLAY Friday” night, and I know that’s become a recurring gig for you. That bar gets crowded, lol! Is that a challenge to navigate, and is it a fun gig overall?
Flawless Shade: I love me some Playhouse–the crowed just gets me there, lol! Being as tall as I am, I’m used to crowded spaces and navigating crowds of people. I usually use the “OMG, she’s throwing up!” joke line and watch the crowed part like the Red Sea, lol.
Overall, I love performing at Playhouse. I’ve been booked by DJ 2Face there, and anything he has me do is usually an amazing time. I think it’s the mix of audience that I relate to at Playhouse–a diverse, mixed group of humans enjoying music and good drag.
Can you describe the full drag experience of Flawless?
Flawless is a description of how you feel; I believe life is a mirror, and everything is a projection. I put a lot of work into how I look because I want to show my audience that I genuinely care. The Flawless experience is about beauty, glam, shade (it’s my family’s last name), and sharing who I am through my love of makeup and hair. And it’s giving the crowed something they may not have known they wanted: authenticity, and someone who absolutely loves what they do.
I love hip hop and pop numbers. I’m a 90s kid, so there’s always a little bit of the inner child in all of my performances.
Can you share a bit of your origin story with us: where is your original hometown, what sort of skills and interests did you have growing up, and who were your Inspirational Divas?
I moved here from Oregon; I’m not from Oregon, though. I’ve lived in every West Coast state a third of my life, so I don’t really feel like I have a “hometown.” However, if you Google me it will probably say I’m from Portland.
I loved choir growing up, but I was forced into sports (“dad trying to live through me” vibes). So I played basketball my entire life, and was actually pretty good–until I quit when I turned 18, and refused to play basketball in college. Instead I chose to focus on the dreams of little Tajh: modeling, acting, etc.
Your makeup skills were put to the test when you were a contestant on the first season of WoW Presents Plus’ Painting with Raven back in 2022! Were you new to drag at that point?
I actually wasn’t new to drag; I think I was seven or eight years into it by then. I had a great time, it was a big opportunity for me. I was super proud of what I did, even if I was the “villain” of my season, lol. And I was judged by RuPaul twice! Not a lot of people get to have that experience without being on Drag Race, so that was a big moment for me. And of course, [it was great] working with Raven who was a huge inspiration to me when I first started doing drag makeup.
Then came Suck Less Face & Bodying! That was a contest of sorts that you won where you got face time with infamous disqualified Drag Race star and mischief-maker Willam. It seems you two knew each other already!
I’ve known Willam for years; from the time I was in college (way before I started doing drag), I was one of her gogo dancers in West Hollywood. So I applied just for fun, and her team reached out to me to tell me I had won a free trip to hang out with her and shoot a fun video for her company. I was able to perform through her friend Rhea, and got to meet Raven for the first time in person since filming Painted with Raven. It was a fun trip, and nice to hang out with Willam outside of a green room dynamic.
Two years ago you starred in the music video for rapper Logic’s track “Fear,” that has gotten over a million views! Logic is likely best known to folks for his topical “1-800-273-8255” single from 2018 that promoted mental health awareness and suicide prevention. How did that collab come about?
I got an email one day from a production company looking for a drag queen to star in a “Grammy nominated rapper’s music video.” I instantly replied (obviously), and then was asked for a video chat with the director. We spoke on Facetime, and during the call he told me I had gotten the part. Later I found out that I was on a list of like 14 other drag entertainers in the area. The director had a friend who [was helping them in] looking for a queen for a music video, and the director mentioned my name . His friend had been to one of my shows and told him to stop looking, and that he had to book me for the role.
I’ didnt actually speak to or see Bobby (Logic) during this project; it snowed the last day of filming when we were supposed to perform together. The house in the video is my actual home, and the other people you see in the video are my actual drag family.
You were then cast in a role in a recent film that Logic wrote and directed. What’s he like to work with?
I always make sure I tell people (when asked) that he really respects my art. I never felt like a prop, or just some gay dude that dresses like a woman. Working with him was an amazing experience because he trusted me and let me do my thing, given that it was his movie and he was staring in it and directing it and a writer of it. He talked to every single person on set, remembered their names, shook their hands and gave a consenting hug when he was excited to see you. I was genuinely blessed to have my first acting experience with a director and artist like Logic. The vibes on set were always amazing, and that’s def because of his leadership.
He wrote my role specifically for me before I even met him (because of the music video). So when he called me and told me he wrote a movie, and wrote a part for me… that’s one of those moments you never forget.
The film is called Paradise Records, which has had a major festival presence!
It was in the Tribeca Film Festival last year, which is why I moved here–after experiencing NYC for the first time during the premieres.
What can you tell us about the movie?
Paradise Records is about a struggling records store owner who is at risk of losing his store all in one chaotic day of bank robberies, hostages, drag queens, swat teams… “hero’s journey” type stuff, iconic characters and actors like Jay and Silent Bob [aka Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes], Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ron Perlman, Rain Wilson, Bobby Lee, Nolan North, Juicy J, and the recently departed Oliver Tree.
That’s a remarkable cast! Who did you get to interact with on set?
Most my scenes were with Logic, Oliver, and Nolan. I was most nervous meeting Joseph and Kevin Smith, though (childhood movies and such).
Do you have plans or hopes to pursue other onscreen roles in the near or distant future?
I do. I moved here with the intention of using everything I could in my drag resume to live life to its fullest, and try and experience more of that… but in a bigger city with more opportunity. I’ve only been doing drag here for three months or so, and I have realized that the resume doesn’t matter here so much, lol. But I love it here nonetheless.
And yet you’ve accomplished so much in such a short time! You’ve already competed in Drag Wars All-Stars, for instance!
It was an honor to introduce myself to the Pieces space, and meet and network with an iconic queen like Shequida Hall.
You have some amazing Pride Week gigs coming up as well! First of all, on Monday you will be a featured performer for the pre-show at OTA at 3 Dollar Bill. That’s NYC’s legendary ball night! Do you have strong ties to that scene?
I do have some ties from Portland–I judged a ball, and was amazed by the talent there. It was organized by a house that was on Legendary: the House of Ada. I’m a huge fan of the community, but never had the pearls to enter into one. Now that I’m in NYC, it almost feels like I should!
And then on Pride Weekend, you’ve got three back-to-back gigs!
On Saturday I’ll be at Hardware for SURGE, hosting later in the evening around 10pm to 2am with performances by Lexington Banks.
And Sunday from around 4 to 7 I’ll be performing at the Boxers / Hush block party [in Chelsea]…
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…leading into closing out Pride at Balcon with DJ 2Face starting around 10pm. It’s my first NYC Pride, I’m really excited!
Have a great week of shows! Anything you want to add?
I want to thank you publicly for the opportunity to share more about myself to a new scene for me…. and share that I’m open and ready for bookings. I may be new to NYC, but I’m not a new drag queen. I’m excited to change some expectations, and have fun with what I love doing in a city I have always wanted to live in since I was a kid–now pursing my dreams.
It’s been a pleasure to chat and I can’t wait to see more of you! Lastly: it’s recently been revealed that on the new season of Project Runway, Tyra Banks will be a judge and Plane Jane will be a design contestant! Is this Terrible for Humanity, Amazing for TV, or both?
It’s a gag for sure. Tyra… cringe, always. Plane… I’m confused, because I haven’t seen her that fashionable lately and didn’t know she was a designer. But I love being proven wrong and gagged. So either way, I’m excited for the culture!
Aren’t we all!? Happy Pride, Flawless!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Flawless Shade’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
Thotyssey 