Hidden Beach Recordings

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

In its early years, the label issued recordings by both emerging and established 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] Follow-up releases, include Experience: Jill Scott 826+ (2001) and Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 (2004), which also appeared on Billboard charts. ^[16][17]

In 2000, Hidden Beach released Paris Rain, 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]

Additional projects during this period included the acquisition and development of Back to Then (2002), a neo-soul oriented solo album by Darius Rucker. ^[20] Originally recorded for Atlantic Records following Rucker’s commercial success with Hootie & the Blowfish, the project was later developed by Hidden Beach after being shelved. ^[21]

The label further expanded its roster with releases by Kindred the Family Soul, whose debut album Surrender to Love (2003) appeared on the Billboard R&B charts.^[22]

Early imprints

Hidden Beach developed several label imprints focused on genre-specific releases. The Still Waters imprint was established for inspirational music, including gospel and spoken-word recordings.^[23] Releases issued through the imprint received nominations from organizations including the Grammy, Dove, and Stellar Awards.^[24]

It later introduced the Celebration Series, which focused on themed seasonal releases. Among its release was My Christmas Prayer (2003) by BeBe Winans.^[25][26] 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.^[27]

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.^[28] Several volumes were issued during the 2000s, including a box set compiling the first four installments.^[29] 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.^[30][31] The fourth installment, Unwrapped, Vol. 4 (2006), also reached the Top 3 of the Contemporary Jazz chart.^[32] Unwrapped, Vol. 5: The Collipark Café Sessions was released in 2008.^[33]

Unwrapped Vol. 6: Give The Drummer Some!, featuring Tony Royster Jr., reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. ^[34] It was followed by Unwrapped Vol. 7: Back 2 Basics, continuing the series’ reinterpretation of contemporary urban repertoire through contemporary jazz arrangements. ^[35][36]

In 2019, Hidden Beach reintroduced the Unwrapped series with the release of Unwrapped Vol. 8: The Chicago Sessions, and announced plans for further volumes. ^[37]A ninth volume, Unwrapped, Vol. 9: The Songs of Kendrick Lamar Reimagined, was released in 2025.