Meet Cinnamyn Monroe | Old Hollywood Tripple Threat

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cinnamyn Monroe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cinnamyn, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I love this question because there are three ways to break it down that are essential to approaching the answer. The first thing you have to realize is: in order to give up, you have to start. You have to begin chasing your dreams and working towards discovering your full potential to even consider the option of quitting. At almost 22 years old, I’m just now starting to work towards my goals. For years I had refused to understand the emptiness I felt in my heart; never choosing the songs I liked to sing. But after playing the wealthy night club singer Muzzy Van Hossmere set in the 1920’s in High School, it had helped me understand why I always felt so hallow. I was happy to discover that both my heart and soul belong in the 1940’s-1950’s era. Can you imagine trying to make friends and be normal when who you are is straight out of the Golden Age of Hollywood? Especially when you share the same birthday as Frank Sinatra? That’s me haha.The second thing that you should know is: once you actually start doing what you love, it’s hard to stop. I love everything about being Cinnamyn Monroe. The feeling I get when I sing an Ella Fitzgerald song to an audience, the way my spirit lights up when I watch The Williams Brothers or Gene Kelly dance, and the happiness I feel when I put on elbow high gloves and monologue like Dorothy Dandridge. I can’t imagine ever quitting what I do because it’s who I am. That brings me to my third and last point in answering this question. It’s not a matter of knowing whether to keep going or to give up; it’s a matter of knowing what will happen to you if you do give up. How heavy does your heart get when you stop doing what you love? How colorless will your days become when you’re turning your back on what makes you truly happy? Imagining this will help you strive to keep going, and that way you’ll never give up. Throughout the trying times of the pressure and stress that comes with doing anything, you’ll see that what you do will be worth it in the end!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My passion is the Old Hollywood era. I sing as many songs as I can from artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, and Sarah Vaughan. I create original monologues and recreate clips from vintage films, and tap into my comedic side on TikTok. Also, I love to model vintage clothing that has a modern flair. I believe it’s very difficult to capture the essence of beauty that was that time period, today. From the singing, the dancing, the acting, and the chemistry between the man and the woman. There was simplicity and pure romance back then, to where a simple caress of the hand on a woman’s cheek was enough to make your heart flutter. The fashion was elegant and sophisticated and the music was heartfelt. It was also normal to be a virgin back then, (before marriage too) which is what I am now and I’m blessed to be one. I think that’s one of the things that sets me apart besides the fact that I’m a sexy yet young black woman who can sing, dance, act, write scripts/poems, draw, and paint (among other talents I haven’t discovered yet!). Now, I don’t consider myself a professional yet, but in the present and future I will work hard to become one. It hasn’t been easy for me to get this far, simply because I haven’t faced the “Man in the Mirror,” as Michael Jackson would say. I won’t say I wasted time not trying to find who I am, because I believe you can’t waste time, just not utilize it, but I’ll say that I overcame the silent challenges I faced everyday without realizing it. People say it’s hard to be unique, but everyone’s unique. The real difficult part is being confident in what makes you so unique and fighting against anything and everything to be that way. What I learned back then from my struggles of identity is: don’t fight who you are or what you love to do because of society or your upbringing, etc. You are here because the world needed you to be, or else you wouldn’t be here. Even if no one tells you they need you, even if you think no one understands you. The universe and its stars aligned itself for you to be on this beautiful Earth, so don’t change anything about yourself. What I want the world to know about me and my brand is that this is not just a brand but it’s a presentation of what’s in my heart and I that I want to help and make others happy. Thank you for taking the time to read this haha!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a question that I’ll have to fantasize the answer to because I’ve never had a best friend haha, but if I did we would drive down to South Beach, Miami and stay at an Airbnb. We would drink Pinacoladas and eat all types of seafood. There’s nothing like eating seafood at a restaurant by the sea! (I’m sorry little fishies, I don’t mean to offend you…) Then we would swim all day at the beach and go dancing at night and meet new people. Of course, not everyday but we’d mostly explore shops and try and sneak into some bumping parties, as long as we’re staying safe and responsible. Personally I love all asian culture, mostly the Korean, Japanese culture. I’ve been a fan of BTS (an army) since 2017 and I’ve watched anime on and off since 2015. One day I WILL learn Korean, I just haven’t gotten back to my studies in my while which makes me sad… but I’ll have to make time soon. I think Korea, Japan, China, LA and Atlanta are at the top of my list to truly explore for the people, the culture, the food, the fashion–everything!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Firstly, I would love to give my shoutout to God. He has always been there for me, slowly but surely guiding me down the right path, even with the twists and turns or the forks in the road. There were many times where I didn’t feel like he was there or that he didn’t care about me, especially after I graduated High School and Covid-19 hit. I see now that during that time, he was making me face my demons to show me that they’re really just figments of my imagination, and that I’ll begin create my own light that’ll shine into the darkest corners of my insecurities. I know he has guardian angels watching over me, and I trust him throughout my journey. Thank you God for everything that you do and this process of growth that I’m blessed to be in! Secondly I would love to give a shoutout to everyone that’s been in my life. Without you I wouldn’t be the person I am and I finally love who that is, so thank you. You’ve taught me about what I love, what I hate, how I function, and how I think. It doesn’t matter how little or how much I’ve known you, you matter to me in who I’ve become today.

Website: https://dogsino.wixsite.com/cinnamynmonroe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinnamyn.monroe/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CinnamynMonroe

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFoUT2XpDpKHn2ZX8UnjoFg

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cinnamynmonroe?_t=8WJqrpuNOo6&_r=1

Image Credits
Photographer: Xavier Batista- white dress on the rocks Photographer: Andy Glogower- musical theatre photograph with the men