Monet, Aja - the color of rain

Aja Monet is a Surrealist Blues Poet, recording artist, and bandleader whose work moves fluidly between poetry, music, and political expression. Emerging from New York City’s Lower East Side spoken word scene, she became the youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title before expanding her practice into genre-defying musical performance rooted in jazz, blues, and experimental sound.

Her debut poetry album, when the poems do what they do, earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024, positioning Monet as a singular voice in contemporary Black music and performance. The project blends poetry with live instrumentation and improvisation, exploring themes of resistance, love, and joy through a collaborative, ensemble-driven approach.