Beehive yourself

>> DJ Ms. Honey Dijon cuts the mustard

by KRISTA

Technically she's a man, but she looks like Naomi Campbell and dresses better than Madonna. Ms. Honey Dijon, Honey to friends, former drag performer turned DJ, was turned on to the raw sound of Chi-town house by her sister's best friend's ex-boyfriend, Derrick Carter. Upon relocating to NYC she got a gig at a small joint on the Lower East Side playing Chicago-style chunky beats--and the rest is history.



Mirror: Since most people here in Montreal are not that familiar with you, I'll pursue the obvious. How and when did you become Ms. Honey Dijon?

Honey Dijon: When I moved to New York back in 1995. My friends used to call me Ms. Honey, and one night while we were watching television an ad came on for honey Dijon mustard. My best friend at the time said that, since I was "a sweet and saucy bitch," I should use the name on a flyer for one of my first performances in NYC. People loved it and it stuck. The French love it, especially--every time I go to Paris all they do is say my name all day long!

M: When did you decide that you wanted to be a drag queen?

HD: I don't really consider myself a drag queen, actually. If I must define myself for others (which I don't really like to do) so they can understand how I live my life and present myself, then I am transgender. I think it transcends the ideas, stereotypes and societal expectations of what it means to be a man or a woman.

M: How, if at all, does it tie into becoming a DJ?

HD: Being transgender really has nothing to do with being a DJ, for me, although I must say it's a lot more entertaining for people to see someone make an effort to look good instead of just showing up in jeans and a T-shirt. Wouldn't you rather see Naomi Campbell DJing, and looking sexy as hell, than Mike Tyson?

M: Do you do any drag shows? Have you ever been a performer?

HD: I was a dancer before I was a DJ. When I first moved to NYC Lady Bunny, the founder of Wigstock, saw me dancing one night and asked me to be a Wigstock dancer. That was the same year the Wigstock movie was made. Some people from a club called Barracuda saw me perform and offered me a night. I started doing A Taste of Honey every Tuesday, and did it for three years--it was great! But I felt that to be a true drag artist you either had to go the route of Ru Paul or do your own material instead of lip-synching other people's shit, so I followed my heart to the one thing I loved the most--DJing.

M: Describe a day in the life of Ms. Honey Dijon.

HD: My day is full of glamour! I wake up, go shopping at Gucci, get a massage, order a hustle, go back to Gucci for more shopping, order another hooker and then end the day at Prada! Perfection! No, really, I try to get some sleep (a rare commodity), read my millions of fashion magazines, take a yoga class and spend some time with my friends. I travel so much that I just like to chill when I'm at home--and get laid.

With Alain Vinet and Jester at Jingxi on Friday, Nov. 17, 10pm, $10