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Makeba Riddick
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| The prolific words and hypnotic melodies of songwriter Makeba Riddick have been partnered with music from some of the most revered producers in the recording industry today. In just a few shorts years, this twenty-four year old, sweet-spirited native of Baltimore, Maryland has persevered via faith, determination and a disciplined work ethic to become one of a handful of consistent working writers in the business. Of humble beginnings, Makeba, raised by her grandmother, recollects through her family's memory at her musical talent having been discovered early on; "When I was two years old, before my family knew I could talk, my aunt realized I could sing. She would let me perform for her friends who were amazed by this 'singing baby'." This discovery spurred Makeba's grandmother to nurture her grand-daughter's talent by providing her with voice and piano lessons; encouraging her to perform with her church's choir; and entering her in local talent shows and performance workshops where, incidentally, she met and befriended then super-stars-in-the-making, Sisqo, Nokio, Jazz and Woody of the multi-platinum selling R&B group, Dru Hill.
Upon graduating high school with honors from the Baltimore School of Performing Arts where she was classically trained as a pianist and vocalist, Makeba accepted a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music; a contemporary arts school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was during this period that Makeba began to develop a passion for songwriting, garnering inspiration from Mary J. Blige whose "raw emotion" poured through her words in the songs she wrote. "I felt every word she sang," Makeba shares, "because I either knew somebody who had been through (what she was going through) or I was going through it myself." And in becoming more aware of the impact of lyrics, Makeba began studying song production and tuning in to other writers and producers such as Missy Elliot and Devante Swing who were sources of inspiration, as well.
With a Bachelor degree in hand - a major in Music Business Management and a minor in Songwriting - Makeba relocated to New York City where she found freelance session work as a background singer and met a writer by the name of Curtis Richardson who zeroed in on her strength in songwriting. Adopting Makeba as his protégé, it wasn't long before Richardson invited her to co-write with him, further developing her craft. Shortly thereafter, Makeba's song reel found its way to Bad Boy Music Publishing's VP, Francesca Spero who instantly became a fan and wanted to sign her on the spot. CEO, Sean "Puffy" Combs, however, wasn't as forthcoming but Makeba persisted and with Francesca's help began penning and placing songs with Bad Boy's award-wining songwriter, Jack Knight. Feeling comfortable and confident in her talent, Makeba branched out and networked with producers and music executives, one of whom was Sr. VP of A&R at Epic Records in Los Angeles - Max Gousse. Max recognized Makeba's potential early on and campaigned for her, resulting in the placement of her music on Jennifer Lopez and B2K projects. The momentum of a buzz in the industry about this once dubbed "singing baby," picked up and soon Makeba found herself courted by major publishers such as Sony ATV, Zomba and Famous Music Publishing. Puffy and Francesca, however, having never allowed Makeba to float too far under their radar proceeded to pursue her with a fervor that won her over into signing with Bad Boy Music Publishing/EMI Music Publishing at the end of 2002.
Since securing a publishing home, Makeba's career has kicked into warped speed as she crisscrosses the country working with producers the likes of Rodney Jerkins, Mario Winans, Scott Storch, Corey Rooney and the Trackmasters. She has written songs for Janet Jackson, Toni Braxton, Latoya Luckett, Teairra Mari and Rihanna, just to name a few and in 2003 won an ASCAP Pop Award for Billboard's Hot 100 number one song All I Have which she wrote for Jennifer Lopez and featured LL Cool J. When asked to explain the reason for her ability to connect with producers and artists, Makeba humbly replies with "I've been told that my demos sound like actual records instead of references. I guess it's that way because I invest so much of myself into each song."
Makeba is thrilled with her accomplishments thus far. She attributes her success to God first and foremost, and to the encouragement and help she has received from industry heavyweights along the way including Executive VP of EMI Music Publishing, Big Jon Platt, and former EMI Music Publishing Director, Shawn "Tubby" Holiday - both of whom embraced her upon her signing into the EMI family. Makeba however, still has miles of success ahead of her as she taps into and pulls to the surface her other creative strengths - singing and producing. Makeba's angelic yet soulful voice can already be heard performing back-up on several records she has written and released with other artists and she is currently honing her production skills to round out her triple threat. She is a multi-faceted talent; light moments away from achieving her ultimate goal of being named as one of the few in the upper echelon of music powerhouses such as Missy Elliot, Jermaine Dupri and Pharrell of the Neptunes. Is there a methodology to Ms. Riddick's attainment of success? "Not really," she answers, "By watching Oprah, who I respect tremendously, I realized that success does not depend on circumstances but it is contingent upon how much you're willing to put in to make it happen." |
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Do What You Do
(by Katharine McPhee) |
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Get Me Bodied
(by Beyonce) |
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Big Jon Platt
