As a former New Orleanian displaced to
Atlanta by Hurricane Katrina, Stormy Monroe
laments that “the Atlanta dating scene is tough
on women. Women outnumber men by the
thousands and women of color seem to be
affected the most,” she notes.
Going by the professional title of “DJ
Stormy,” she speaks from experience but she
refuses to let herself be deterred from her
path to success as a live deejay, athlete and
businesswoman. After a ten-year marriage that
ended in divorce, Stormy’s experiences served
her well when she joined the cast of the Oprah
Winfrey Network’s (OWN) unscripted series
for singles, “Ready to Love,” and she quickly
emerged as a standout cast member.
From her exotic looks and original style to
her positive yet sensitive demeanor, Stormy
was real and honest throughout the series,
making sure to stay disciplined and sticking to
her true self. As she emphasized, “I always try
to be myself and leave people with positivity.”
Adopting her stage name of Stormy Monroe
from the weather event that brought her to
Atlanta, she explained, “I truly believe that
I am ‘Stormy.’ The name fits me because I
consider myself the perfect storm on all
levels.”
While confidence exudes from Stormy, she
wasn't always the deejaying social butterfly
that she is today. In fact, she remembers growing
up as a shy kid. “Up until middle school, I
was a true introvert. Too embarrassed to speak
in front of anyone.”
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Stormy’s
exposure to music came as early as she can
remember. “My mother was a calypso singer
in the Caribbean and my father was a music
connoisseur,” she said. The youngest daughter
of four, Stormy and her baby brother seemed
to be the most heavily influenced by their
parents’ intense love of music. “He and I were
always so in-tune to music,” she added.
The young Trinidadian moved to the Algiers
neighborhood of New Orleans in the late
1980s with her parents. Stormy instantly
embraced the New Orleans culture, especially
the city’s unique music culture.
“I discovered bounce music at the age of
11,” she said, recalling how she became infatuated
with the heavy-hitting beats and the
call-and-response style. “It was original and
still is a huge influence on my deejay style
to this day.”
PHOTOS BY NATURALLY U PHOTOGRAPHY
“DJ Stormy”
Ready to Show her
Talents to the World
By Kimmie Tubré
22 | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | breakthrumediamagazine.com JANUARY / F E B R UARY 2 0 1 9
/breakthrumediamagazine.com
