Shuga Cain

Jesus Martinez Jr., known professionally as Shuga Cain, was born on November 20, 1977, in Oakland, California. He spent his formative years in Northern California, growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood. Martinez’s background includes Salvadoran heritage from his father and Apache and Spanish ancestry from his mother. Before committing fully to drag, Martinez engaged in acting, notably starring as Sonny Malone in a 2011 production of ‘Xanadu’. In 2017, he made a pivotal career change, leaving a corporate position with Scholastic Corporation to pursue drag full-time. This decision marked the beginning of his public persona as Shuga Cain.

Shuga Cain gained significant international attention as one of the fifteen contestants on the eleventh season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ which premiered on January 24, 2019. During her time on the show, she showcased her performance skills and resilience, notably surviving a historic six-way lip-sync in Episode 3 and another lip-sync in Episode 5. Although she did not win any main challenges, her portrayal of Charo in the ‘Snatch Game’ challenge earned her a top placement. She finished the competition in seventh place after being eliminated in the tenth episode. Throughout her participation in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Shuga Cain produced ‘Shuga in the Raw,’ a web series where she recapped each episode of Season 11.

Following her appearance on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Shuga Cain engaged in various projects and tours. From March to September 2019, she was part of the ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 11 Tour,’ which commenced in Los Angeles and concluded in New York City. She also hosted ‘Gimme Some Shuga,’ a six-episode mini-series on WOWPresents Plus, where she and baker Justin Salinas created cakes inspired by ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ legends. Additionally, Shuga Cain joined the cast of ‘A Drag Queen Christmas,’ a festive drag show. Her career has encompassed acting, recording, and modeling, solidifying her presence in the entertainment industry.