Their talent is undeniable. Their contribution to the culture is indispensable. They're the Black women in our playlists, on our screens and in our feeds. On Ladies First, Element Everest-Blanks talks with one of these remarkable women about their lives, their music and how they made their moment happen. Because it's not about who's next. It's about who's now.
At just 19, Aja Monet became the youngest-ever Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam Champion. Blending blues, jazz, hip-hop and radical activism, the Grammy-nominated poet and artist uses storytelling to explore Black resistance, identity and liberation. In this episode, we discuss her 2026 album, the color of rain, what freedom truly means, our collective responsibility to one another and how art can inspire a revolution.
