History
Founder background
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Steven McKeever attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before earning his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He began his career as an entertainment attorney at Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles. After leaving the firm, he joined PolyGram, where he discovered comedian Robin Harris and produced Harris’s first and only album, Be-Be’s Kids. [2]
In 1991, McKeever joined Motown Records as senior vice president of A&R (artists and repertoire), expanding the label's line-up with musicians including Queen Latifah. [3] [4] The following year, he launched the Motown subsidiary MoJazz Records, serving as its founding president and overseeing the label’s early roster, which included artists such as Norman Brown and Wayman Tisdale. [5] In 1993, McKeever was involved in the sale of Motown to PolyGram Records. [6] By 1994, McKeever was promoted to executive vice president of talent and creative affairs. [7] [8]
McKeever left Motown in 1995 to pursue independent ventures. In 1998, he founded Hidden Beach Recordings. [9] [10] He invited Charles Whitfield to join the company to oversee production and artist relations, and Whitfield later introduced McKeever to professional basketball player Michael Jordan, who became an early investor in the label. [11] [12]
Initial success
During its early years, the label established its market presence through a series of releases by both emerging and established recording artists.
Early commercial visibility came with the signing of Jill Scott, one of the label’s first artists. [13] Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (2000), received multiple Grammy Award nominations and achieved multi-platinum certification in the United States, helping establish the company during its initial years. [14] [15] Subsequent releases by Scott, including Experience: Jill Scott 826+ (2001) and Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 (2004), also appeared on Billboard charts and contributed to the label’s early catalog growth. [16] [17]
The company also issued Paris Rain (2000), a studio album by Brenda Russell. [18] The album marked Russell’s return to solo recording after a recording hiatus and featured collaborations with artists including Carole King, Dave Koz, and Sheila E. [19] The release formed part of the label’s early catalog development and contributed to its presence within adult R&B and contemporary soul markets during the company’s early expansion period.
Early imprints
The company developed several label imprints focused on themed and genre-specific releases. The Still Waters imprint was established for inspirational music, including gospel and spoken-word recordings. [20] Early releases on the imprint received nominations from organizations including the Grammy, Dove, and Stellar Awards. [21]
The company also introduced the Celebration Series, which focused on themed seasonal releases. The Celebration Series included themed seasonal releases such as My Christmas Prayer (2003) by BeBe Winans. [22] [23] According to industry reports, the album reached No. 1 on several Billboard catalog charts and was distributed through a retail partnership with Starbucks, where it sold more than 97,000 units during its initial release period. [24]
Unwrapped music series
Beginning in 2001, the label released the Unwrapped series, a collection of instrumental interpretations of contemporary rap and hip-hop recordings performed by contemporary jazz artists. [25] Several volumes were issued during the 2000s, including a box set compiling the first four installments. [26] Unwrapped, Vol. 3 featured interpretations of songs such as "In da Club" and "Lose Yourself" and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and No. 4 on the overall Jazz chart. [27] [28] The fourth installment, Unwrapped, Vol. 4 (2006), also reached the Top 3 of the Contemporary Jazz chart. [29] Unwrapped, Vol. 5: The Collipark Café Sessions was released in 2008. [30]
Recent developments
In 2014, the company introduced the Hidden Beach Experiences umbrella brand while continuing to operate Hidden Beach Recordings as its primary artist label. [31] Artists associated with the label include Naturally 7, Jill Scott, Kindred the Family Soul, saxophonist Mike Phillips, Angie Fisher, and Al B. Sure!. [32] [33] In 2019, the company reintroduced the Unwrapped series. [32]
The company also established the Guardians of Soul division to oversee collaborations with artist estates. Beginning in 2015, Hidden Beach worked with the estate of Luther Vandross on The Power of Love: The Luther Vandross Experience, a tribute project produced in partnership with the artist’s estate. [34] [35]
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