Deep In Vogue

Farewell, Willi Ninja

by j. brotherlove

I’m pleasantly surprised by the coverage Willi Ninja’s death has gotten. His legacy lives on, a testament to his tremendous impact on black, gay culture. I hold vivid memories of my club days in Chicago (circa 1989), before Madonna moved voguing into the mainstream, when we would pack the dancefloor whenever the DJ spun Malcom McLaren’s “Deep In Vogue”. Extra points were given when the DJ played the video featuring Lourdes and Willi Ninja.

And then there are the lyrics:

In my black tights just throwing shade
Doing this dance that some queen made
I remember the first time I saw it,
Told my brother to put me up on it,
It wasn’t easy no 1, 2, 3
Took a long time to learn to feel free
But here I am Vogueing pretty
In some club deep in this city

Gotta love the no-nonsense, un-coded message there. Voguing gets a lot of flack from those who don’t “get it”. Personally, I’m happy to see an art form that allows my community to refute the bullshit known as “no fats, no fem”. But that’s a rant for another time.

Rest in peace, Willi. And thanks to the wonderful world of YouTube, we can continue to bask in your Overness via the “Deep In Vogue” video:

Elsewhere:

• Willi Ninja Tribute | NYT
• Willi Ninja, R.I.P. | Keith Boykin
• In Loving Memory of The Icon Willi Ninja | Jasmyne Cannick
• An icon, legend and friend | YouTube

What is also interesting to me is seeing gay teens around NYC, who are apparently just discovering all this, riding the trains or just standing there Voguing.

Seriously, Bernie? That’s fantastic!