Aja

Aja is the stage name of Jay Rivera, a drag artist and rapper from Brooklyn, New York. They competed on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3.

Drag Name Origin

Rivera took inspiration for their drag name from the 1982 Bollywood movie "Disco Dancer", which features a song in its corresponding soundtrack titled 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja'. Rivera resonated with the lyric "Aja", and decided that Aja would be their drag name.

RuPaul's Drag Race

Season 9

Episode one: "Oh. My. Gaga!" Aja did well in the first challenge, landing them a "safe" spot. For the challenge, the queens had to showcase a hometown look and a Lady Gaga inspired look. For the hometown look, they did the Statue of Liberty, representing New York. The Lady Gaga look they chose was Gaga's Commes des Garcons dress, representing that 'Beauty has No Shape'. The judges gave both looks "okays" and Lady Gaga said, "This girl- she's gonna keep surprising you".

Episode three: "Draggily Ever After"- For the main challenge, the girls were asked to create a fairytale princess, and their sidekick, for the runway. Aja started off confident, because of their sewing skills. They princess's character was named "Disastah", and was based on a volcano eruption and their sidekick was a storm cloud. They were critiqued by Michelle Visage for not knowing what their look was, and their makeup being rough and dark for the last few episodes. Aja ended up in the bottom 2, lip syncing for their life. In the end, they sent Kimora Blac, keeping their place in the race. 

During work time, their makeup was clocked by Alexis Michelle. As well, they were really aggressive and bitter towards Farrah Moan and Valentina in Untucked, lashing out due to stress at being in the bottom two. 

Episode four: "Morning Bitches!" - Aja was chosen as the team captain as they survived the lip sync. They were apart of the winning group but didn't win the challenge.

Episode seven: "9021-Ho" - Aja was originally cast in "9021-Ho" as Grandrea, but became stressed and switched with Shea Couleé. Aja ended up with Bethany but was criticized for their line delivery and overall performance. Aja ended up in the bottom two against Nina Bo'nina Brown despite a praised runway look, and they ended up being eliminated in ninth place.

All Stars 3

Aja was the only Season 9 queen to be on All Stars 3 and had canceled their tour for this. After showing massive growth on and after Season 9, fans predicted that they would have a favorable edit and slay the runway when they returned.

Aja was confirmed as the first competitor on All Stars 3 in a Facebook Live interview with Michelle Visage.^[1] 

On episode one, they impressed the judges with their performance skills in the All Star Variety Show and landed in the Top 2, but lost the Lip Sync for your Legacy to BenDeLaCreme.

Trivia

• Aja identifies as Non-Binary and prefers they/them pronouns, but is comfortable with any. They discussed this while being interviewed by Peppermint on her RuPaul's Drag Race Recap Show.
• Aja is of African American, Moroccan and French descent, though they are often assumed to be Latinx as they were adopted into a Puerto Rican family.
• Aja was the youngest queen to compete on Season 9, at the age of 22 during filming. They are also the youngest queen to compete on an All Stars season at the age of 23 during filming, beating out Tatianna and Adore Delano.
• Aja was the last queen to enter the werkroom on Season 9.
• Aja was the first queen revealed for All Stars 3, being interviewed by Michelle Visage during a Facebook live-stream 3 hours before the contestants' reveal episode.
• Aja was supposed to wear the rainbow kimono that Lady Gaga wore, and instead later changed it to the "Beauty Has No Shape" dress by Comme des Garçons. They later said that they had saved the kimono for the Rainbow Look on the ball episode. ^[2]
• Aja admitted of practicing Santería in the Drag Queen Carpool with RuPaul before Season 9 aired.
  • In episode 7 of Season 9, Aja implies that they do some form of divination readings, possibly in the brujeria style.
• Aja had to post an Instagram photo and explain about their skin due to criticisms about their makeup looking rough.
• She is the first queen to win the first Main Challenge in an All Stars season without winning a Maxi Challenge in their first season (followed by Monique Heart).
  • Coincidentally, they both lost the Lip Sync for your Legacy and against the queens who win the most Main Challenges in their seasons (respectively BenDeLaCreme with 5 and Trinity The Tuck with 4).

• Aja left the first eliminated queen Jaymes Mansfield their phone number along with a note that read, "It was fun meeting you! Stay amazing, learn to believe in yourself, and if you ever need a friend I'm here." After their elimination, they left some of their clothes to Nina Bo'Nina Brown.

• Aja is the mother of the drag family "The Haus of Aja". Their drag daughters are Dahlia Sin, Kandy Muse, Momo Shade, and the newest member, Janelle No. 5.
• Aja, Alexis Michelle, Peppermint, and Sasha Velour recorded a song together titled "C.L.A.T."^[3]
  • They were also interviewed for getoutmag and had to wear a Broadway themed look, Aja doing Grease.
• Aja dropped out of high school to do drag, although they had perfect grades. ^[4]
• Aja won Drag Queen of the Year at the 4th Annual Brooklyn Nightlife Awards in 2016. ^[5]
• Although practically non-existent, Aja's lisp has become a running joke among fans.
• On Season 9 and All Stars 3, Aja was up for elimination on episode 3.
• Aja wears the fragrance Aura by Thierry Mugler

Memorable Quotes

Season 9

• "Your edges are officially snatched!" (Entrance quote)
• "I feel so at home with so many talented girls."
• "The true gagarini. That is what is about to go down."
• "Nina Bo'nina fell on the sofina!"
• "I'm an Illuminati princess, they tried to silence me and I'm like, no bitch I'm still gonna talk." (during their White Party Realness runway.)
• "You’re perfect, you’re beautiful, you look like Linda Evangelista, you’re a model! Everything about you is perfect! Did you stone those tights? Oh, you’re smiling! They eat her up EVERY SINGLE TIME she’s on that damned stage! *aggressive gibberish* She could walk out there in a fucking diaper and they’d be like, “Valentina! Your smile is beautiful!" (to Valentina during the "Untucked" in Episode 3 "Draggily Ever After".)
• "Girl I feel like a soft serve ice cream cone right now!"
• "Did my nose get thinner?"
• "Gooped and Gagged."
• "I don't wanna say I read her, I just aggressively complimented her."
• "Werk fan favorite!" (to Valentina.)
• You're a slut. (jokingly said at Farrah Moan during "Untucked.")
• "Yas, Pep!" (When Peppermint came out as transgender during the show.)

All Stars 3

• "Maybe I'll come, maybe I'll win, maybe I'll slay but I won't know unless I play- bitch I'm a poet ya'll see that rhymed." (Meet The Queens)
• "I feel like I was like a little turtle inside the little shell and now I'm just like a full blown like....what's not a turtle?" (Meet The Queens)
• "Ayo sis! I have some unfinished business" (Entrance quote)
• "They're going to be telling me my smile is beautiful. Watch."
• "I'm gonna go put on something more see-through so I can be a hoe."
• "Girl, I don’t see no flowers, I don’t see no glitter, I don’t see no gag. You ain’t no Sasha Velour, bitch. Keep your wig on." (about Bebe Zahara Benet)
• "What the fuck is happening?" (About BenDeLaCreme eliminating herself)
• "I have the power of God and Anime on my side"
• "Not BenDeLaChrist, savior of Morgan and the drag queens."

Extras

• "Sis."
• "Ayo, sis."
• "Girl, she is carrying."
• "Send me home."
• "Oh yes."
• "...You sit there and say we're not on the same level, well you know what baby? I agree with you. We're not on the same level. and you spoke a very true statement, and I'm happy, that out of all the lies you told this season, you said something real. So with that, I applaud you, Milk."
• Other queen: "Do you think she's skim, almond, soy?"
• "I don't give a fuck, I'm skinner... and thinner... and more beautiful. And I will always have more estrogen running in my my blood because i was born with two X chromoSOMES. I don't have an Adam's apple, you could never clock me, darling. So take your ponytail and wind it up in that little black box and use that top wig to cover your face, because your mug on this evening? You look like Aquaria on testosterone. So walk back off the runway, and walk back into the workroom, and sign that mirror."^[6]

Gallery

Season 9 Looks

All Stars 3 Looks

Videos

Discography

Singles

Year	Title	Artwork	Notes
2017	"Level Ya Pussy Up"
2017	"C.L.A.T. (feat. DJ Mitch Ferrino)"		with Alexis Michelle, Peppermint, and Sasha Velour
2018	"Finish Her! (feat. WNNR & DJ Accident Report)"
2018	"Brujería (feat. Mitch Ferrino)"
2018	"Demons, Witches & Bitches"		with MC Shilow and The Vixen
2018	"Art Jesus"
2018	"Jekyll and Hyde (feat. Shilow)"

Extended Plays

Year	Title	Artwork	Singles
2018	In My Feelings - EP		"Finish Her! (feat. WNNR & DJ Accident Report)" "Brujería (feat. Mitch Ferrino)"

Long Plays

Year	Title	Artwork	Track List
2019	BOX Office		Tutankhamun Decepticon Monster Jam Breakfast at Tiffany's (feat. Shea Couleé) Willy Wonka Rocky (feat. Lady Luck) Slytherin Chango (feat. Winstar & Momo Shade) Ghost Jekyll & Hyde (feat. Shilow) Yōkai Anarchy Clowns (feat. Rico Nasty) Safari Zone (feat. Cupcakke) Kill Bill

Follow Aja

• Aja's Official Website
• Aja's Facebook
• Aja's Instagram
• Aja's Twitter
• Aja's YouTube
• Aja on Apple Music
• Aja on Spotify
• Aja on Wikipedia

References

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