Cherrod Allen Presents Midnight Musiqal
NEW YORK NATIVE, CHERROD ALLEN, HAS TAKEN HIS MUSICAL ROOTS TO THE SOUTH, BUT HAS STILL MANAGED TO KEEP HIS BROOKLYN DNA INTACT WITH THE RELEASE OF HIS LATEST PROJECT ENTITLED “MIDNIGHT MUSIQAL.”
ROOT MAGAZINE WAS ON LOCATION AT A PRIVATE LISTENING SESSION IN ALLEN’S NEW HOME OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA AND WE DISCUSSED THE ALBUM’S TITLE, THE NEW YORK GOSPEL SCENE AND MORE.
AS TOLD TO HASAN JAMES
Root Magazine: How has the transition been from New York to North Carolina been for you?
Cherrod Allen: Actually, it is been a, a smooth transition for me. All I can say is that God opened up every door and made the transition smooth. I landed a new job and everything.
Root Magazine: I’m glad you mentioned working because so many artists think that artistry happens overnight and they don’t have to work in order to fulfill a dream. What are your thoughts on that?
Cherrod Allen: I believe in simplicity, prioritizing and being a realist. You must have a plan for everything. I believe in being strategic and I always ask God which way I need to go, so that’s pretty much how I come maneuver. I look at things at face value and I say, okay, there’s something I want to obtain. I’m like, okay, how long is it gonna take me to get there?
Root Magazine: Talk to us about this new project entitled Midnight Musiqal. How did you come up with the theme and title?
Cherrod Allen: So me being the designer and creator that I am, I approached this album the same way. Growing up in a musical household, I accredit my musical talents to my parents. My mom was a soul singer and my dad was a bass player. They played for different groups and bands back in the day. Music has always brought an element of happiness to people, so I wanted to bring back that time. Growing up going to midnight musicals, you knew it was going to be a good time and the end goal was to bring back that time. In addition, the creative side of me just wanted to do something totally different.
Root Magazine: The album is really good. It was really good how you brought a collective group of people together even in this intimate space and essentially your next single was chosen because the crowd has spoken. How important was it for you to infuse your influences into this album?
Cherrod Allen: When God revealed the title to me, I knew that I needed to keep the album centered around my roots and it was very important for me to have people on this project that understood the New York sound. So many people glean from New York, but I wanted to remind people that we have some great jewels from New York City. I had the privilege of ministering with James Hall and WAP and Voices of Citadel. My cousins Maurice and Trayvon Perry, Amanda Clay, Bishop Kervy Brown and Vincent Bohanan are all on the album and they all helped me paint the picture of what a Midnight Musiqal is all about.
Root Magazine: What are your expectations for this project?
Cherrod Allen: I simply want people to sing the music. I want people to be able to feel good about what the music brings to them. From there, I leave it to God. Proverbs 21:1-2 says “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it whichever way He wishes.” God can take it, blow on it and do whatever he wants to do with it. My expectation is that people are encouraged and uplifted. People will see themselves somewhere in this and be reminded that they can move forward. It’s just feel good music that provides a happy space for people to point them back to God.
Download and Stream Midnight Musiqal by Cherrod Allen on all digital platforms.
