Aja is the stage name of Jay Rivera (born January 4, 1994), an American drag performer, reality television personality, and rapper best known for competing on season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race and season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.
Video Aja (drag queen)
Career
Rivera began doing drag in Manhattan at age 16, participating in contests at Posh Bar, the Stonewall Inn, Metropolitan Bar and Sugarland. Aja was announced to be competing on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race alongside 13 other contestants on February 2, 2017. Aja placed ninth overall, later returning for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars on October 20, 2017. Aja was eliminated during the fifth episode, but returned in the following episode with the other eliminated queens for a chance to win re-entry into the competition. Morgan McMichaels rejoined the competition, which placed Aja seventh overall. In March 2018, Aja hosted a live streamed Drag Race trivia contest with the cast of season 10.
The drag house Haus of Aja, based in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, includes members Aja, Kandy Muse, Momo Shade, Dahlia Sin, and Janelle No5. The group perform at Hardware Bar. In an interview with them. Magazine, Aja said:
I think that what really separates the Haus of Aja from other drag houses is that, at this moment in time, we're all really different. We're all people of color who come from a really kind of gritty background, where society and life told us we couldn't do it in every aspect and we kind of just rose above it. We all share an aesthetic and a sense of resilience -- which are two different things. We just kind of want to show people that you can rise above and you can look cute doing it. You don't have to wear your struggle as baggage. You can wear it as a badge of honor and continue to use that struggle as a means of success.
She appeared in a commercial for H&M's Pride OUT Loud campaign in May 2018.
Maps Aja (drag queen)
Music
Aja released the single "Level Ya Pussy Up" with producers WNNR and DJ Accident Report in February 2017. Aja's single with fellow season 9 queens Sasha Velour, Peppermint and Alexis Michelle, titled "C.L.A.T.", was released on April 21, 2017. The track was produced by DJ Mitch Ferrino, who was featured on "Purse First" by Bob the Drag Queen. Producer Adam Joseph remixed Aja's rant at competing season 9 queen Valentina in a track called "Linda Evangelista." In September 2017, Aja appeared in the music video for Velo's song "Big D*ck Daddy" alongside Phi Phi O'Hara.
On March 1, 2018, Aja released a solo music video, "Finish Her!", which was produced in collaboration with WNNR and Accident Report. It features some of Aja's runway looks from All Stars 3. Her debut EP, In My Feelings, was released on May 11, 2018.
Personal life
Rivera was adopted and raised by a single mother in Brooklyn. Rivera used to suffer from PTSD and anxiety, attributing them to a "broken family" situation. Rivera stopped having panic attacks after starting drag.
Rivera identifies as a person of color and uses singular they pronouns when not in drag. Rivera currently lives in New York City.
Just before filming season 9 of Drag Race, Rivera was in a situation of domestic violence with a previous boyfriend. In December 2017, Rivera and their current boyfriend were kicked out of their Lyft after kissing. The driver was later fired, and the company issued a statement of support for Aja.
Discography
Singles
Extended plays
Filmography
Television
Internet series
Music videos
References
External links
- Official website
- Aja on IMDb
- Rowden, Claire (January 23, 2018). "Drag Race's Aja Did a Reddit AMA and Oh Wow, So Much Went Down". Comedy Central.
Source of article : Wikipedia
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