“I identify as a surrealist blues poet,” declares Aja Monet, her rich voice filling the space. Seated in a cozy London cafe, the LA-based artist captivates with her elaborate blue braids. She’s just finished uploading the last master tracks for her upcoming album, The Color of Rain. She explains that the album draws heavily on her exploration of surrealism as a deliberate artistic response to historical fascist movements.
Monet’s work, known for its intellectual depth and relevance to contemporary struggles, frequently explores themes of love, resistance, and societal absurdities, serving as a soothing antidote to the harsh realities imposed by powerful elites. Her impact was underscored in 2026 when her second book of poetry, Florida Water, received a nomination from the NAACP, and she performed with Stevie Wonder at a Time magazine event honoring Martin Luther King Day.
This spring, she’s preparing for a major performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall to promote The Color of Rain. The album, rooted in experimental jazz, features a psychedelic twist on rhymes and rhythms. The lead single, Hollyweird, paints a surreal, post-wildfire LA as a city of contradictions, inhabited by oblivious celebrities. Monet notes, “African people inherently view the world through a surrealist lens, always navigating the profound absurdities of life, such as racism and sexism.”
Monet draws inspiration from both the Afro-surrealism movement and pioneers of the Négritude movement and the Harlem Renaissance. She believes surrealism is a form of revolutionary consciousness for Black people, born out of historical oppression and a lack of political imagination from colonial powers.
Currently, as the artist in residence at the Barbican during the London jazz festival, Monet’s performances are dynamic, blending different artistic disciplines in a way that challenges traditional perceptions of jazz and poetry.
Monet criticizes the elitist portrayal of poetry in academic circles, arguing it serves to divide rather than enlighten. She views cultural expression as a vital means of achieving self-awareness and ideological growth, contrasting sharply with the restrictive and manipulative controls imposed by institutions and digital algorithms, which she claims promote conformity and control under colonial legacies.
Monet reflects on the commercialization of major art forms like hip-hop, lamenting how they’ve been reduced to mere entertainment aimed at consumerism and self-exploitation under capitalism.
Born to a diverse heritage but raised in New York, Monet’s identity and work are deeply influenced by her Black heritage, shaped by personal experiences of systemic racism and familial challenges. She left home at 16, drawn to the communal and spiritual support offered by church communities, seeing poetry as a divine tool for social change.
For Monet, poetry venues became sanctuaries where vital societal issues like gender justice and assault were openly discussed, in contrast to mainstream culture’s often superficial engagement with such topics.
Her poetry has also been a platform for international advocacy, particularly in places like Palestine, inspired by friendships and a shared sense of injustice observed in global communities.
Besides her artistic endeavors, Monet works with V-Day, an organization aimed at ending violence against women and girls, where she contributes creatively to projects like an audio play for US prisons, a testament to her commitment to social change even amidst personal and financial challenges.
Monet believes that embracing love is essential in combating adversity, illustrated by her deep bond with her manager and friend Daphne, whom she met in Paris. Their relationship, strengthened by personal losses and a shared critique of the pharmaceutical industry, epitomizes the transformative power of supportive relationships.
To Monet, poetry is more than words—it’s a life philosophy, a means of living authentically and impacting the world meaningfully. “The goal is to become the poem you’ve been trying to write your entire life,” she concludes.
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Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
