For those who don’t know, my actual name is Tom. It’s funny to say it like that, but I find myself introducing myself in the Zouk world by my known alias, Fro-Yo. I found that people know of Fro-Yo and even appreciate Fro-Yo, but don’t always know who Tom is.
I invested a lot of energy and time putting myself out there as a DJ between 2017-2020. Fro-Yo was a name designated to me by my old dance company director, because I had a fro, and I’m cool (yo). Very silly, but it was on a flyer, and then it stuck.
I learned to embrace it, and I carry that name proudly now, as it has some history and work attached to it. It also reminds me of the history of me not promoting myself as an artist under my own name, for the fear that I’m not good enough.
It’s like a limited liability company - if I fail, the company can just disappear and I’m not responsible for this fiasco personally. But if it succeeds, then surely, it’s a one man show and I’m personally responsible!
I’ve grown since, and a testament to that is my use of my actual name. People in Houston know me as Tom, and people in the scene outside of Houston are still more likely to call me Fro-Yo, but I don’t correct them, I like to be reminded of my progress, and that I now do things for myself, as myself, and take pride of them even if they aren’t successful linearly.