Raja (drag Queen)

Sutan Ibrahim Karim Amrullah ; (born June 14, 1974), often shortened to Sutan Amrull, is an American drag performer and make-up artist who also uses the stage name Raja Gemini or simply Raja. He is best known for winning the third season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' and remains the only Asian American to win the show. Amrullah later returned to compete on the seventh season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'', an all-winners season. Outside of drag, Amrullah is also known for his makeup artistry on the reality television show '' America's Next Top Model'' (cycles four through twelve). Amrullah's clients include Tyra Banks, Dita von Teese, Pamela Anderson, Paulina Porizkova, Iman, Iggy Azalea, RuPaul, and Twiggy. Since 2009, Amrullah has been make-up artist to singer Adam Lambert for print media, live U.S. appearances, and Lambert's international 2010 Glam Nation Tour.

Amrullah currently co-host the podcast ''Very That'', alongside Delta Work.

Early life

Amrullah was born in Baldwin Park, California. He is of Dutch and Indonesian descent. His late father, Abdul Wadud Karim Amrullah, was the younger brother of Indonesian ʿālim and philosopher Hamka. At the age of three, his family moved to the island of Bali in Indonesia, his parents' native country, where he stayed for six years before returning to the U.S.

Career

Career beginnings

At sixteen years of age, Amrullah got into the drag scene by attending L.A. nightclubs with friends. He was part of a sector of drag that was inspired by the goth and punk subcultures. The first few years of his drag career in the early '90s were spent as a club kid named Crayola.

Amrullah attended California State University, Fullerton as an art student, focusing on art direction and illustration, for two years, then decided to pursue a career in makeup artistry and female impersonation.

''RuPaul's Drag Race''

He was a contestant on the third season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' as Raja. He was a member of the "Heathers" clique, which took its name from the popular cult film '' Heathers''. In the final episode, after a lip-sync battle with Manila Luzon, Raja was declared the winner of the show's third season and crowned ''America's Next Drag Superstar''. As part of his duties as the third-season winner of ''Drag Race'', Amrullah toured the U.S. and Canada on ''Logo's Drag Race Tour'' in 2011. Raja is the first and only Asian American winner of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''.

In 2014 Raja joined the Drag Race Battle of the Seasons tour where he performed a lip-sync duet with Manila Luzon to the Babymetal song " Gimme Chocolate!!"

In April 2022, Raja was announced as one of the eight returning winners that would be competing in seventh season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'', the first ever all-winners season of ''Drag Race''. He won the title of "Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses" and a prize of $50,000.

Other ventures

Amrullah was a make up artist on '' America's Next Top Model'' from 2005 until 2009.

In May 2011, Amrullah released his first single as Raja, titled " Diamond Crowned Queen." The single debuted at number fifty on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs, before peaking at number thirty-five. On August 21, 2012, his second single "Sublime" was released. Her third single, "Zubi Zubi Zubi" (roughly translating to "Dance Dance Dance"), was released June 1, 2013.

Since 2014, he has presented the weekly WOWPresents YouTube series ''RuPaul's Drag Race Fashion Photo RuView'' with fellow ''Drag Race'' alumna Raven.

In February 2017, he starred as an intergalactic creature in the music video for Blondie's single " Fun". He also appeared in the "Make Love Not Walls" Diesel campaign directed by David LaChapelle and in a campaign for Urban Decay alongside fellow ''Drag Race'' alumni Alaska, Jiggly Caliente, and Katya.

Amrullah has created and performed live drag shows as Raja in Provincetown, Massachusetts, such as ''Gawdess'' (2017), ''Masque'' (2018), and ''Lush Life'' (2019).

Amrullah guest starred as himself in '' The Simpsons'' episode " Werking Mom," which aired on November 18, 2018.
In June 2019, they were one of 37 queens to be featured on the cover of '' New York Magazine''.

Personal life

On December 14, 2017, Amrullah married Ryan Turner at a small ceremony City Hall in Norwalk, California.

Discography

Singles

As featured artist

Other appearances

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Music videos

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gemini, Raja
1974 births
Living people
American drag queens
American make-up artists
LGBT singers from the United States
American people of Dutch descent
American people of Indonesian descent
American people of Dutch-Indonesian descent
American people of Minangkabau descent
Asian-American drag queens
Minangkabau people
Raja
People from Baldwin Park, California
Artists from Los Angeles
LGBT American people of Asian descent
LGBT people from California
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars contestants