Solé initially entered the limelight as a hardcore rapper associated with producer Tricky Stewart and rappers Tech N9ne and JT Money in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Falling out of favor with both her image and the industry itself, she stepped away to reinvent herself as a wellness practitioner before eventually returning to music with a more positive and encouraging message.

Born Tonya Michelle Johnston in Kansas City, Missouri on July 17, 1973, Solé’s first musical endeavor was in her teenage years as part of the rap duo Divine with her friend, Shurhea Mitchell. Despite garnering attention, and even offered contracts by record labels at the 1990 Black Radio Exclusive convention they were invited to perform at, Divine would ultimately disband due to various factors, and Solé’s rap career would be halted as she finished high school. She then went on to college, where her studies were first centered around political science and psychology before she changed them to music.

After focusing on starting her family for a while, Solé began her second musical endeavor, reaching out to her friend and fellow Kansas City native, Tech N9ne, to hang with him and a group of his in Los Angeles in 1997. While this didn’t result in anything fruitful, another opportunity would present itself when she was in Atlanta. This resulted in her meeting Tricky Stewart and given a shot to contribute to JT Money’s “Who Dat.” Following its eventual release in early 1999, “Who Dat” became a big hit, leading to Solé securing a deal with DreamWorks Records, and begin work on her debut studio album, Skin Deep, which would be released on September 28, 1999.

On September 8, 2003, she married R&B singer Ginuwine, with whom she has two daughters, Dream and Story. Their marriage lasted until Solé filed for divorce in 2014, which was finalized on July 22, 2015. Following her divorce, Solé would reconnect with a friend of hers, Professor Griff, and this rekindling quickly led to them being married on August 27, 2017. After they tied the knot, Solé changed her legal name to Aja Shah.