Aja drops the visual for “I’m Kawaii / Ayo Sis”

As a non-binary queer artist and performer, Aja is bringing the art of drag into underground rap culture with their critically-acclaimed debut EP, In My Feelings (May 2018) and by putting on epic live shows around the world dedicated to uplifting their fans and empowering them to be in control of their own destiny. At nearly 1 million Instagram followers, Aja’s streetwear fashion, their inspiring perspective, brilliant songwriting and outspoken activism continues to propel their stardom to new heights. Born and raised in the heart of Brooklyn, Aja’s genuine connection with their fans and their personal struggles with race, gender identity, class, and sexuality, has become largely impactful to the LGBTQ+ community. Aja has now become an international role-model for queer people everywhere.

“The inspiration for this video was the power of gender expression, and particularly my own femininity. I wanted people to see different kinds of relationships in the video and when you watch it you just see couples. No labels, just love as who they are,” Aja says.

Aja’s EP, In My Feelings, features six tracks, including ‘Finish Her’ and ‘Brujería,’ and introduced Aja as a serious rapper and lyricist in the game. Critics agreed that In My Feelings packed referential intellect at the intersection of house music, trap music, and an overall captivating sound to the masses.

“I want my fans to know that In My Feelings has my entire heart and soul in it and I’m sharing every little bit and piece of myself with the world. There’s a lot of pain and sorrow yet happiness that is going into this EP. That’s why it’s called In My Feelings. The overall theme is this paradox about feeling two opposite emotions at once. There’s times in life where you’ll be happy and sad at the same time and you really can’t explain how or why. The only real way to explain it is to write music and release it, and that’s what I’m doing,” Aja says.

Since growing up in Brooklyn, Aja has always been determined to make a name for themselves. It was through the realm of fashion, cultural, and historical studies that Aja came to discover the art form of drag. Aja’s schooling, coupled along with that fact they lived in the heart of Brooklyn’s burgeoning drag scene, propelled Aja to begin trying drag for the first time.

Eventually leaving their education to pursue drag full time, Aja was determined to rise to the scene in Brooklyn. That hard work paid off when Aja won the now legendary title of Miss Williamsburg in 2014. Other titles followed such as Ms. Bushwig, Brooklyn Nightlife’s Drag Queen of the Year, and Vincent Cooper’s Lady Liberty. Aja’s rising critical success in New York’s Drag scene and their ability to translate high fashion coupled with intense performance ability earned them a coveted slot on LogoTV’s and VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 9.

Aja rose to popularity on the program and the following year, was asked to appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Season 3. As an All Star, Aja was given the opportunity to showcase their versatility as a performer and introduce their music to the world.