Meet McKeith Cordell | Singer/Songwriter/Producer

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

Hi McKeith, what do you attribute your success to?
I would honestly have to say the most important factor in my musical success has been the need to stay true to myself. Since I am independent, I don’t have any label telling me when or what to sing. I’m not forced to sing other people’s songs or write to music that I don’t like. I have made it to the point where I’m not singing about anything that isn’t authentically me. I thank God that I have been fortunate enough to work with people that I have a great relationship with and I learned a lot from those people. Since starting to record in 2006, I have been able to learn more about the business and production sides of the industry as well. The singing and writing always came naturally.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Ever since I could talk, I remember singing. I grew up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina with my parents (Percy and Diana Cordell) and sister (Syreeta Cordell). Music was always a part of our lives. I started writing songs when I was in sixth grade. I remember my biggest inspiration was Mariah Carey. I loved her voice the first time I heard “Vision of Love” and although my family loved music, they would not buy a lot of it for me. I remember on my birthday in 1991, I got enough money to buy her first and second albums on cassette. While singing along to the lyrics in the inlay, I noticed almost every song stated, “Lyrics by Mariah Carey”. That to me was monumental so I started writing too. Initially recording songs on a dual cassette boombox and selling them at school. Oh, the memories. I really got started performing and recording in North Carolina. I was teaching high school and was tapped to write hooks for a rap group. I was to write for the two singers. I remember singing the demo for a song and the producer was like, “You need to sing it” and I joined the group. It later disbanded over internal issues and I stopped singing then too. I remember my aunt Shelia asking me, “What happened to the group?” I told her it dissolved and her response was, ‘But why aren’t you singing?” That was all the motivation I needed. I started to record independently at that point. I recorded and released my first independent album, “Twerk” in 2015. I was living in Atlanta at this time and still teaching high school. The road has not always been smooth. I think the biggest issue I dealt with was struggling to be me and make music that represented me, yet working with producers who were affordable yet these producers specialized in a certain type of music. I was a dance, edm pop, rnb artist trying to record over trap and hip-hop tracks. These producers didn’t know how to bring the most out of my voice and at the end of the day, I was dissatisfied with a lot of music I spent money to record. I remember recording the “Twerk” album twice. The first person I worked with delayed me getting the songs, they were mixed at a lackluster quality, yet he was paid upfront. I learned a lot from that experience. It taught me to work with people I trust more than anything and always be smart about your craft. This is why I always have to have DJ Redwine involved in some way. He’s responsible for me finding a sound and he also is so diverse. You can hear it on the albums. “Makes My Day” was his venture into making house music and it’s one of my favorite song on the new album, ‘Deja Vu: The Hits and More”: This album concept came from a conversation that Ronnie and I had about putting my first two projects from 2006 and 2008 on streaming platforms. I wasn’t considering it until he was like, “You really have a huge body of work and you need to celebrate it”. I finally agreed and the album was born. This new album is a culmination of songs from 2006 to 2020. You can hear the timidness in the earlier songs and the huge hip hop and RnB influence and later you can hear how free I was vocally and lyrically. I started producing, that was huge for me! I love listening to it from start to finish. There are 22 tracks, but it’s such a musical journey. It is like the soundtrack to my life so far.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, this is easy! I have so many favorite places in Atlanta, but Midtown is like home to so many stories and amazing moments that I have had. I would definitely suggest anywhere in midtown starting with G’s and 10th and Piedmont. That entire area is a vibe. Further up on 11th Street is one of my favorite Spanish bars, Bulla Gastropub. Also, West End’s Beltline is another frequent area for me now. Best End Brewery, ASW, and BoxCarATL are some favorites that I love what it has become.

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?
I’d like to dedicate my Shout Out to my parents, Percy and Diana Cordell, my sister, Syreeta Cordell. Also, to Matthew Redwine and Ronald Bettis, Jr., thank you both.

Instagram: @mckeithcordell

Twitter: @mckeithcordell

Facebook: @mcketihcordell