DEJA VU radio personality for POWER 105 in NYC, community leader and all around down to earth person. Her climb to success wasn’t an easy one, it took motivation and persistence. Now she has made it and ready to give our readers a chance to see what a radio dj really goes through.


Empress: How did you get started in radio?


Deja: I got started in radio a long time ago when I was just a kid. I have always been talking and always knew that I wanted to be a radio broadcaster in some kind of way. The actual beginning started when I interned out of a small mom and pop black owned station, it was jazz and adult music. I was doing the show and I was a teenager trying to sound all grown. Interning was the way I got my foot in the door. I interned for a year and a half WITHOUT PAY, so for all those people trying to get paid, fall back and just do the job, if you really love it.

I loved radio that much that I would do it for free. Of course now I’ve become accustomed to a different way of life (lol).

Empress: What is the best thing about your job?

Deja: Being able to keep in touch with the community because we reach out and touch so many people. Folks don’t realize how powerful the microphone is. You have so much power, people listen to you. Some of my listeners have quoted back things I’ve said that I don’t even recall saying. That is the cool thing about it because you have the opportunity to say something that might have an effect on someone, a positive effect. Someone could be having a terrible day and you say something, make them laugh, even encourage them. So that is the fun part about it.

Empress: Did you face a lot of obstacles in the radio industry?

Deja: When I first came to New York City, yes. I am from the south and I have a little bit of a “twang” because I can sound like Whitney Gilbert if you want me to “Dwayneeeeeeeeee” (lol). So people would be like “Oh my gosh! Where are you from”, but mostly it was the people I worked with and not just here, but in the industry period.

“Oh Deja you’re from the south, girl you’re not New York enough…blah blah”. But thank god 5 ½ years later I’m still here. I just signed a new contract, I’m still here and they’re still there running their mouths. So the things that I have learned is to be true to myself and to stay focused on my spiritual side because that’s what got me through tough situations when I first got here.

I used to cry like almost every night, regretting my decision to leave my cushy Program Director’s job in Virginia to come up here. But I love the fact that I am here now, that I can say at least it’s on my resume, even if they fired me tomorrow, of course they would have to pay me (lol). I can say “look I’ve been here 5 ½ years, you guys talk all this smack, all this stuff when I first got here but it’s on my resume and you’re still trying to get in the door”

Empress: Who were your inspirations?

Deja: There weren’t that many people in radio that inspired me. I thought I was going to be a TV news broadcaster so I used to like Connie Chung, Barbara Walters and any rare black face that I could see because back when I was younger there weren’t as many black and brown faces on television. So those kinds of people inspired me from afar.

My parents have always pushed me to do what I wanted to do. They always encouraged me. So they were inspirations as well.

Empress:What is one thing your audience doesn’t know about you?

Deja: I don’t know, I’m so open (lol) about everything. My friends are like “don’t tell them about so and so”. My grandma is even like “you better not talk about this on the radio” when we speak. I can’t think of anything right now, sorry.

Empress: If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?

Deja: I would be running a community center. My long term dream is to open my own center and have a small radio station inside for teenagers.

Empress: What advice would you give someone trying to start out in the business?

Deja: In the radio industry now it is very, very different from when I first came into the game. It is very aggressive and competitive, so you have to be on your game. For someone trying to get in, make sure you are here for the right reasons, not just to be a celebrity or a superstar on the air. There are many other things behind the mic that people don’t even know about as far as job opportunities. So people just see the on air DJ part but they don’t realize there is so much more to it and politics behind it. So just be prepared for that and develop a tough skin.

Empress: What are your next steps?

Deja:My next step will be to write my own novel, finally break into television and make my multi-millions. Don’t ask me how yet, I haven’t thought that far (slight giggle)

Empress: But the thought is all that counts

Deja:: Exactly

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