Better than Poutine

Published by Aja Krys

Aja Krys Ellington is a Saint Louis native and Indiana resident, she obtained a B.A. in Social Work from Indiana University, and is in the final stages of receiving her Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) with a focus area in mental health and addictions. She is the proud Founder and Chief Executive Director of Free Your Wings Youth Mentoring, Incorporated (FYW)–a community-driven certified 501(C) (3) non-profit organization. Her organization strives to break psychological & societal barriers restricting the success and growth of young people living in poverty. Founded in 2018, her family owned organization continues to excel. Sultry, captivating and zelous Hip Hop Femcee Aja Krys is one of a kind. Unexpected would probably come to mind when you hear her blend of various musical elements over thought provoking, raunchy yet sensual lyricism. While wearing many hats, she is also an aspiring Femcee rapper, singer, and songwriter. Krys released her first mixtape titled “The Caged Bird” in 2014, followed by a mini mix tape titled “Just Until” in 2015. Krys dropped her first EP titled “Aja Krys” self-debut in 2015 and her epic Extended Play (EP) “Krysmotism” in 2018. Her most recent 2019 project included a mixtape titled “Way Back Now” which highlighted some of the hottest songs from the 1990’s as well as current hits. What sets Krys apart from a lot of other artists is her unique purpose in life, her passion, goals, vision, and drive to take her to the top in all areas of her development. It is an advantage that Krys is open to experimenting with all genres of music such as opera, pop, reggae, spoken word and the list goes on; Yes, she is also a poet! Krys has a natural creative ambition musically that adds to the artist industry in several ways. One of her goals and passions consists of normalizing music and its therapeutic benefits to empower and support our youth, young adults, and communities. Growing up, Aja learned to face the adversities of life at an early age. She had experienced the heartaches of homelessness/living in poverty, which inspired her to break the generational cycles. Therapeutic support was not a resource in her family therefore she healed through writing music as it took her to her safe place; music saved her life. Aja strives to educate and empower underserved families experiencing the evils of poverty and all of the intersecting issues that encompass the problem. She has worked with underserved youth and young adults for nearly a decade and continues to assist with youth policies on a national level. She continues to advocate for houseless youth as a committee member and mentor on the National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC) and is a partner to the National Network for Youth (NN4Y). She is also an advisory board member for Futures Without Violence, a new research initiative designed to understand better how economic abuse impacts teens’ education, employment, and finances. Her latest accomplishment entails her becoming a contributing author to Love Letters to My Girls, a book and movement to inspire, uplift, motivate and empower black women and girls worldwide. She looks forward to sharing her wisdom and resources to further assist communities. View more posts