Long before ballroom culture became a mainstream phenomenon, Kevin Aviance was helping define it. The Billboard dance music icon, nightlife legend, and Black queer trailblazer has spent more than three decades shaping music, fashion, and performance, leaving an influence that stretches from packed dance floors to Beyoncé’s Renaissance.
In our exclusive interview, Kevin opens up about the lasting impact of “Cunty” and “Din Da Da,” why ballroom remains one of pop culture’s greatest creative engines, collaborating with today’s drag superstars, and how queer nightlife continues to inspire the next generation of artists. He also reflects on surviving unimaginable adversity, the faith that carried him forward, and why, 20 years after a life-changing hate crime, he’s still creating, still performing, and still dreaming of taking his story to Broadway.
You’ve been a significant part of the LGBTQ scene for three decades. What moments have made you think that you’ve really made an impact on culture?
It could be as simple as just me at the club hanging out and people coming up and talking to me, especially the young ones or somebody with a memory of something that I did many moons ago, and I don’t do anymore. On a bigger scale, it would be more about my music. My music has gone up and down with where it hits and where it lands and I’m always surprised to see a new fan, and it just changes all the time. Recently, I had all these sisters, my Black female sisters, who were just like, “Oh, I have your music and I love it.” I’m just very happy that my music is…music is a universal language, so it just kind of finds its way into people’s lives.
Beyoncé used a sample of your song “Cunty” in her song “Pure” and I saw an interview where you said you had passed out when you first heard it. Did you feel like it was a validation for ballroom’s influence, or did it just feel overdue?
Well, first of all, I was very angry. I was happy. I was upset. All these emotions came at one time. At the time, I really didn’t know what I was doing with my life, you know what I mean? I came back to New York; I had hip surgery. I’d been gone for a while. New York had changed, so I didn’t know where my place was here anymore, and, you know, I did a couple gigs here, a couple gigs there, and then I was starting to DJ, and that wasn’t going well, so things were just really kind of crazy, and then that happened and it just kind of like gave me a boost to just go, “Okay, get back on this pole again, girl, let’s do this.” It made me feel the validation, of course, but I wasn’t done yet, I had so much more living to do, you know, so many more things. It just let me give me that boost I needed to just do this thing again.
You’ve worked with a lot of the queens from Drag Race. I love your project with Honey Davenport, “Thrive”. What is it like working with other queens, and are there queens that you would like to collaborate with?
Oh my God, I mean, there’s a lot of people I would like to collaborate with. When it comes to the queens, Sasha Velour is a dear friend of mine, and being in one of her shows is just like a dream come true. I would love to write a track for Sasha, actually. I would like to write something for Sasha and have her perform it live. I think that would be really great.
I love Sasha Colby. I’ve known Sasha Colby for many moons. I come from another generation, too, you know what I mean? I know a bunch of queens that people don’t really know, you know what I mean? When drag was drag. I just thank God every day for whoever I am working with right now. I am producing a lot right now. I have a new single coming out with this really hot, amazing girl named Kandi Milk. I met her one night and we just hit it off. We’ve been best friends ever since. She’s a new girl. She’s from Chile and she’s fab.
You’ve recorded a lot of club music. What do you think makes a club anthem truly timeless?
When it is in your grill. I mean, when it’s in your head. I have a song now that’s coming out on the deluxe version of Hippopotamus on April 14th called “Of Golden Sun”. This song is huge. I played this song and people went crazy for it, and I said, oh my god, I think I’ve got a new anthem now because people just start singing it – and they don’t even know the words – but they just love it so much. We’ve tested it everywhere and it’s a really big hit.
So, I think that it’s about the lyrics and where we are at the time. I think it’s just about what people really want and need. I think we all want to be in the sun. Right now, we’re not in the sun a lot, you know what I mean? We’re all going through a lot of stuff right now. So, with “Of Golden Sun”, it’s just kind of like you’re being born again. That’s what the song talks about. So, you know, people just love, they love it. They love the idea.
It matters of where we are, and I think it matters of what we need at that moment in time, because, you know, the dance floor is our place to work things out. So, when we found that song that doesn’t just move you but it moves a lot of people, that’s a moving song, that’s a fierce song.
Since you’ve been a staple of the ballroom scene, what do you think about shows like Pose and Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway? Do you think they are good for ballroom?
Oh, I think it’s great for the talent, for the black and brown people. I was just reading this whole thing about Jellicle Ball closing in August and it’s such a shame because this show is more than just about just what it’s about, you know what I mean?
I don’t know how these other shows are running, but I could see young kids seeing this show and being inspired to be on Broadway. You know what I mean? I can do that because this person looks like me, and I can get to Broadway. You know what I mean? So, it just kind of makes dreams come true. That show helps to make dreams come true for the future. If that makes any sense. I just want to make sure that everything is really positive when it comes to ballroom, when it comes out of the ballroom. It’s about how people take care of it, and nurture it, and make sure that it’s not done in vain. That’s all. As long as it’s not handled like Paris is Burning, we’re good. I think everybody learned their lesson through Paris is Burning. We cannot let that happen again – and they haven’t.
Today’s pop stars are borrowing a lot of things that were born out of the ballroom scene. What separates inspiration from truly honoring the culture that ballroom has established?
A good gig is a good gig, honey. It matters of what kind of aesthetic and how you’re bringing it. I know when Jennifer Lopez tried to do it, it wasn’t cute. I was like, it’s not hitting the right way, girl. It didn’t hit the right way. But when Beyoncé did it, it was a different story. When Madonna did it, it was a different story. Entertainment is just entertainment. Ballroom is… it might not be the greatest entertainment, but it is fab entertainment.
Black queer artists have shaped so much of popular culture, and they’ve often received the least recognition. Like, how have you seen that change throughout your career?
To see all the black gay artists that are out now is amazing. I can’t get over it…even Sam Smith is being more gay than what he usually is. I’m just so happy that we’re taking our platforms and we are out here talking about what’s going on in the real world. I think it’s fantastic. I think we’ve always been there of course, but it’s just so nice to be relaxed about it and just do your art.
How do you think queer nightlife has become such a powerful incubator for innovation in both music and fashion?
We’re the queens, girl. I mean, come on. We get to test it out on ourselves before we hit, before they come and take it from us or want the kids to be, it’s already done already. So, you know, you, the inspirations are in those clubs. And even now, even going to Brooklyn and stuff, I see the inspiration, I get inspiration from all the young kids, they turn it out.
I think it’s great that that’s where it incubates and where, but as long as it gets out. And yet, the one thing about the clubs is like, you have to allow things to get out. You have to allow people to do what they need to do and to flourish. That designer or that songwriter or that dancer, you’ve gotta let them go and let them do some things or do something more creative in the club.
So to bring their art out, you can’t just be under the gavel and be like, you just do this and, go dance. You know, no, no, no, no, girl. That’s the thing about the difference between now and then, is like, back then, we used to use, we used so much art, you know what I mean? People are on the walls. Now, they’ve been kind of, like, sterilized a little bit.
You’ve managed to remain relevant across multiple generations of dance music. How do you evolve without losing what makes you uniquely you?
I stay hip on my music. I just stay on top of it. I stay true to myself, and I just try so hard to make sure that it comes from here. It means nothing to me if it doesn’t come from here. That beat ain’t right, girl. I always start with the beat. The beat’s not right, that ain’t right, girl. I see what’s going on in the club. It’s different now that I’m DJing. It’s way different now. I hear music totally different now and than I’m used to hearing before. And so me doing the production now is much more intricate, much more a little more I guess experimental, but more, more directional. You know what I mean? It’s not so much to me about, “Oh, I’m feeling this. I’m feeling…” I know exactly what I wanna do, so yeah.
Speaking of inspiration, who’s inspiring you creatively at the moment?
Who is inspiring me right now? Nick Cave is inspiring me right now, with all of his cool suits and stuff. Sevndeep is inspiring me so much right now. We just did a video together. The ballroom music scene has really got me up in a tizzy. I love seeing all the girls, because on SoundCloud they have a whole list of other artists and stuff like that. I love listening to those girls and just see where they’re going with music and where they’re going with the lingo and the way they’re talking and stuff like that. I love that. I also get turned on by the classics too, girl. I’m always at a theater show. I’m always going to the opera. I’m always going to ballet and stuff like that. Those things are still consequential, that’s me. I’ve gotta see what’s going on the stages and bring it back to where I need to be.
If you could preserve one aspect of queer nightlife for future generations, what would you want it to be?
No more cell phones. Put the cell phones away. I wish they would just lock them away. I think it takes away from the club. Or just go to some different part of the club and do it. You know what I mean? I did a song called “Get Off Your Phone”, and I said, “If we had cell phones back in the day, we’d all be dead or in jail.” Not dead, but we would be definitely in jail. Those cell phones are crazy. I’m usually guilty as anybody else is.
You’ve been through a lot and you’ve done a lot. After everything that you’ve accomplished, what motivates you to still step on stage or get behind the turntables?
Getting up in the morning. No. Just doing this. The first thing I think about is okay, what do I work on today, or where do I go, or how do I perform, or what music am I playing, what can I look at, what can I listen to? Anybody do anything new? It’s just something that I just always do. And then if I’m not doing that, then I’m always making something. And then, while I’m making something, that’s when other ideas and stuff come to me and it’s usually just going places to DJ at, that’s all – that or in the city. I just wish there were just more places to do more things at, that’s all.
If you could speak directly to a young, black, queer kid who’s dreaming of becoming an artist one day, what advice would you give to them?
Finish school. Make sure you get your education right. Whatever family unit you have, try to make that secure – whatever it is. I don’t care if it’s a big brother or a sister or somebody you look up to, whoever you can check in with. You will definitely find another family when you get here to New York.
And stay true to yourself. You were brought up a certain way and you should bring that to the forefront with you, you know what’s right and you know what’s wrong, and I’m sure God will be in their lives, and just have that conversation. He’s always there. Whoever your spiritual thing is for yourself. And just trust your own and what you need. Have your eyes and ears open. Open up. I hate to say this, but we go, “Open up that pussy, girl.” We mean that in a way like open up and be acceptable to everything that you see. Just be open and don’t speak out of turn either, make sure you know what you’re talking about. Shut your mouth or it’ll get you in trouble.
You have accomplished so much in your career. Is there anything else that you haven’t tackled yet that you still would love to do?
I want to do more acting. I really want… no, that’s not it. I want a Broadway one-man show. That’s what I want. That’s the goal. That’s what I want to do. That’s where I’m going towards. And I feel like with Hippopotamus and especially with this project I just finished, there’s such a story to be told somewhere in this whole thing. I think I’m old enough to handle it now, because I really want to make it fab, like an old school, ’80s one-man show – a one-night only type of thing. Just great costumes and telling jokes and just having the music, the band or orchestra or whatever, and just bring it for the kids. With some dancers, just like old school, just like bam and then also have an appeal where it’s just like anybody could see the show. They might not know who I am at all, but they would want to see the show,
You know, we’re also in the anniversary of the beating…20 years since my beating. I just wanted to put that out there, too, that I’ve been in that thing. I’ve been kind of like reaching out to people. I’ve had somethings in my family that are happening right now that are not good, and so I was reaching out to my family and stuff, talking to them. I have a huge family, and it’s just funny how my family still remembers that day and everything, and probably they’re talking about somebody who just lost their uncle and a brother just got diagnosed with something and so they say, “Do you remember when da-da-da-da-da?” and I was like how are you bringing this up now with everything that’s going on right now? No, because we’re just family. We all share so much together, and I just love that I have that.
What gave you the courage after that to keep performing?
The morning, the next day, it’s just like It was weird for me to perform because people were still clapping for me and I wasn’t performing. I didn’t understand why they were clapping for me. So, I got a little traumatic out of that. Things got a little traumatized with that. I didn’t like people clapping for me and I didn’t do anything. It was just weird and I took it the wrong way and I had to leave the city and stuff for a while. It was just bad.
So, with me coming back to the city and all that, I had to get my hips replaced and it was just like one thing I didn’t leave, and then I have to deal with this and… It was nothing I really had to deal with. It’s just like I didn’t want it to happen. I didn’t plan for anything like that to happen. I didn’t plan my career to go down the tubes the way it did, but I do believe God has a plan for you, and I do believe if you keep your faith and keep trying to be better and better, it will no longer be the story, it’ll be just part of the story, right?
And so, with that being said, it’s only been until now I’ve been able to really talk about it, and 20 years later, it’s like, now I feel okay that I can talk about it. Before, I couldn’t really talk too much about it, without welling up or all that stuff, so… I think the last couple years have been okay, but I know now that it’s just… it’s okay, but it was really one of those moments where I was just like, girl, couldn’t I just walk the other way? Like, why did I have to walk that way? You know, it was weird. The whole thing was just not a good thing but here we are.
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