Aja LaBeija, known simply as Aja during her time on RuPaul's Drag Race, is a rapper and drag artist from Brooklyn, New York City. They competed on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3.
Contents
Name Origin
Aja took inspiration for their name from the 1982 Bollywood movie "Disco Dancer", which features a song in its corresponding soundtrack titled 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja'. They resonated with the lyric "Aja", and decided that Aja would be their name.
RuPaul's Drag Race
| Season Competed | Season 9 | All Stars 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking: | 9th Place | 7th Place |
| Maxi Challenges Won: | 0 | 1 (Ep. 1) |
| Mini Challenges Won: | 0 | 1 (Ep. 5) |
| Times as Team Captain: | 1 (Ep. 4) | 0 |
| Times in Bottom: | 2 (Eps. 3, 7) | 2 (Eps. 3, 5) |
| Episode Eliminated: | Episode 7 | Episode 5 |
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. Their princess character was named "Princess Disastah", and was based on a volcano eruption, and their sidekick was a smoke cloud. They were critiqued by Michelle Visage for not understanding what their look was, and their makeup being rough and dark for the last few episodes. Aja ended up in the bottom two, lip-syncing for their life to Bonnie Tyler's "I Need a Hero" against Kimora Blac. They won the lip-sync and sent Kimora Blac home, 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 the role of 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 entered All Stars 3 as a fan favorite. 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.
After performing as the late Amy Winehouse in the Divas challenge, she quickly fell to the bottom in the Bitchelor challenge for her subpar acting skills, but was ultimately saved. She kept out of the bottom next episode, with her eerily accurate impression of Crystal Labeija landing her safety.
Aja would eventually be sent home by fellow contestant BeBe on Episode 5, but got a chance to return next episode. Unfortunately, the chance was given to Morgan McMicheals instead. Aja had one final appearance as a jury member in the Finale.
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! Shedoesn'tevenhavetodoanythin- 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".)
- "Trinity is selling the song right now. Charlie on the other hand, it looks like she's telling children to get off her lawn." (about the Trinity the Tuck vs Charlie Hides lipsync during episode 4 'Goodmorning Bitches'
- "Girl I feel like a soft serve ice cream cone right now!"
- "Did my nose get thinner?"
- "Gooped and Gagged."
- ”I just don’t feel like you should be Miss Congeniality”
- "I think I'm just gonna get on MY knees."
- "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."
- “Go ahead pass me the mic. Let me show you how to do it right. Let me show you how to level up your puss in the middle of a kitty cat fight. Got a secret bigger than Alyssa's. Wanna pet my little kitty and kiss her? Banjee queen got my baby hair slick. Don't gotta say boop, just lick my secret.” (verse in Sitting on a Secret)
- "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."
- ”Do you want Celine to come over and sing you a song? Girl...” (In response to Milk’s breakdown on Episode 2)
- "Not BenDeLaChrist, savior of Morgan and the drag queens."
- "Ayo sis... I gotta go!" (exit quote)
Extras
- "Sis."
- "Ayo, sis."
- "Girl, she is carrying."
- "Send me home."
- "Oh yes."
- ”Owww”
- "It's real ironic when you walk into All Stars in ninth place, sharing the place as the lowest placing queen on the season with me, and then you walk in, and all your achievements are out of drag, and then 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, I deeply applaud you." ("Other queen: "Do you think she's skim, almond, soy?") "I don't give a fuck, I'm skinnier... 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."[5]
Trivia
- 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.[6]
- 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.
- They are the first queen to be in the Top 2 for 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).
- India Ferrah also experienced this situation of winning the first Main Challenge in an All Stars season, without winning a Maxi Challenge in their first season, but she lost the Lip Sync for your Legacy to the Lip Sync Assassin (Yvie Oddly)
- Aja is the mother of the drag family "The Haus of Aja". Their drag daughters Dahlia Sin, Kandy Muse, and Janelle No. 5.
- As of Season 13, Dahlia and Kandy have both appeared on Drag Race. It is unknown if Janelle will appear.
- Aja, Alexis Michelle, Peppermint, and Sasha Velour recorded a song together titled "C.L.A.T."[7]
- 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.[8]
- Aja won Drag Queen of the Year at the 4th Annual Brooklyn Nightlife Awards in 2016.[9]
- On Season 9 and All Stars 3, Aja was up for elimination on episode 3.
- Aja wears the fragrance Aura, by Thierry Mugler.
- Their drag family "The Haus of Aja" actually dissolved because Aja wanted to focus on their career as a rapper, so their drag children (Dahlia Sin, Kandy Muse and Janelle No.5) created a new drag house called "DOLLHAUS". However, Aja returned to drag shortly before the Season 12 cast announcement, now performing as a member of the Dollhaus with their daughters.
- On Trinity The Tuck's podcast WERK , she revealed the speculated and mysterious decision of BeBe Zahara Benet on All Stars 3, when she decided to withhold her lip stick choices.
- On All Stars 3, Aja became the eleventh contestant in the Drag Race franchise to win a Mini Challenge on the episode she got eliminated, after Jade in Season 1, Mystique Summers Madison in Season 2, Phoenix and Yara Sofia in Season 3, Kenya Michaels in Season 4, Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia in All Stars 1, Ivy Winters in Season 5, BenDeLaCreme in Season 6, Mrs. Kasha Davis in Season 7, and followed by Crystal in Series 1 of Drag Race UK, Tamisha Iman in Season 13 and by Sister Sister in Drag Race UK Season 2.
- Aja confirmed on Twitter that they no longer do drag as of July 31, 2020. On Instagram, September 5, 2021, they explained that the reason was conflict between gender identity and artistic standpoint.
- In the same post, they officially announced their return to drag after being inspired by Kylie Sonique Love on All Stars season 6.
- As of May 19, 2021, Aja is an official member of the legendary Haus of LaBeija.
- In both of their Snatch Game performances, Aja portrayed a drag queen (Alyssa Edwards in season 9 and Crystal LaBeija in All Stars 3.
Gallery
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 Looks
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3 Looks
Videos
Music Videos
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Artwork | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Level Ya Pussy Up" | 
|
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| 2017 | "C.L.A.T. (feat. DJ Mitch Ferrino)" | 
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with Alexis Michelle, Peppermint, & Sasha Velour |
| 2018 | "Finish Her! (feat. WNNR & DJ Accident Report)" |
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| 2018 | "Brujería (feat. Mitch Ferrino)" | 
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| 2018 | "Demons, Witches & Bitches" | 
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with Shilow & The Vixen |
| 2018 | "Art Jesus" | 
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| 2018 | "Jekyll and Hyde (feat. Shilow)" | 
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| 2019 | "Commercial" | 
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| 2019 | "I Ain't Left" | 
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| 2019 | "Mama Chola (feat. Amira Wang)" | 
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with Shilow |
Extended Plays
| Year | Title | Artwork | Singles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | In My Feelings - EP | 
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| 2019 | 
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| 2019 | 
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with Shilow |
Long Plays
| Year | Title | Artwork | Track List |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | BOX Office | 
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| 2021 | 
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Social Media
References
| Winner | Sasha Velour |
|---|---|
| Runners-Up | 2nd: Peppermint • 3rd & 4th: Shea Couleé & Trinity Taylor |
| Other Queens | 5th: Alexis Michelle • 6th: Nina Bo'nina Brown • 7th: Valentina (Miss Congeniality) • 8th: Farrah Moan • 9th: Aja • 10th: Cynthia Lee Fontaine • 11th: Eureka (Departed) • 12th: Charlie Hides • 13th: Kimora Blac • 14th: Jaymes Mansfield |
| Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Carson Kressley • Ross Mathews |
| Pit Crew | Jason Carter • Miles Davis Moody • Bryce Eilenberg |
|
2nd: Kennedy Davenport • 3rd & 4th: BeBe Zahara Benet & Shangela | |
|
5th: Morgan McMichaels • 6th: BenDeLaCreme (Quit) • 7th: Aja • 8th: Chi Chi DeVayne• 9th: Milk • 10th: Thorgy Thor | |
| Jason Carter • Bryce Eilenberg | |
