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Cover Story
february 2008
Jill ScottKindred the Family Soul
 
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february 2008
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hen I heard about the Harvard lawyer who wasrunning things for Jheryl Busby at MotownRecords, I groaned, hoping this label, an icon like noother in Black music, wasn’t being entrusted to a stuffedshirt who didn’t know anything about the music or thehistory of it all.Lawyers as ‘creative’ had caused a few train wrecks--often you could find more suits in the studio control roomthan artists. It was not a good scenario. So I was a littlesquinty-eyed when ushered into his office to talk about thefuture of Motown. But then I grinned. On the wall behind thedesk was a giant blowup of a toddler so in love with his piano,he couldn’t take time to get dressed before sitting down to play.His sweet little face was a study in joy. The same joy was evidentin the grown man as soon as he started talking about music. SteveMcKeever wasn’t your conventional lawyer--not then, not now.The complexities of his nature and dimensions of his dreams haveprovided ample conversation in the years since that first meeting.
He’s from the kind of family that expects accomplishments and stellar careers and he ful-filled those expectations, but he’s done much more. McKeever is the architect and propellant of Hidden Beach Recordings, the music label that has changed the model for upstart young com-panies in the minefield that is today’s music business.On that long ago day at Motown, some of the philosophies that would spring full blown at HBwere beginning to emerge. McKeever, in talking about his vision for MoJazz intended to makemusic that was “true” to the artist; he was looking for artists like Norman Brown, who coulddeliver the best in live performances and powerfully connect with the public that way.McKeever was successful and with MoJazz guitarist Brown created quite a stirin 1992 being joined by other acts before historytook on a darker chapter for Motown.McKeever started Hidden Beach Recordings in1998, on a miniscule operating budget--three mil-lion dollars. In the earliest days, there were threeacts: Brenda Russell, Jill Scott and Mike Phillips.Old sage heads thought McKeever might bea pretty smart guy and all that, but there justwasn’t enough money for him to do things theright way. He had no intention of trying theold ‘conventional’ ways. In fact, this label wasnot even going to have titles for its executives because titles often box people in. He and hisgroup had their eye on making music that wassteeped in truth that would resonant with the buyers, so they chose carefully, structured theirapproach and their corporate culture and along
OnitshaCornel West
 
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february 2008
the way made a new kind of Black History.Today Hidden Beach is a leader in the music industry, withacts such as performer Jill Scott, revered scholar Cornel West,saxophonist Mike Phillips, singer Darius Rucker, new gospel starOnitsha and Kindred the Family Soul. McKeever has also intro-duced a variety of unconventional initiatives under the HiddenBeach banner. Most groundbreaking, is the College InternshipProgram, an international effort that provides college studentswith hands-on music business experience. This program of nearly400 members became a model for the entertainment industryIn 2008’s Black History Month, Hidden Beach Recordingsmarked the celebration with an outdoor media campaign in LosAngeles. Timed to maximize industry awareness to coincide withthe 50th Anniversary of the Grammy Awards, the campaign con-sists of one dozen 30-sheet billboards in the Hollywood, South-Central, and Crenshaw districts of Los Angeles, as well as the Cityof Inglewood.Thornell Jones, Marketing for Hidden Beach explains, “Peopleoften think of history as something from the past.” But Jones notesthat Hidden Beach is creating Black History for a new generationwith its “commitment to quality music and artists. In a decliningmarketplace – it’s a notable distinction which sets this label apart,not to mention the fact that Hidden Beach is Black owned andoperated.”One of the artists featured in the campaign can be said to havemade history right from the beginning; it’s Jill Scott. She encap-sulates everything HB was about. She is the
real 
thing. Whenher first recording came out, there really wasn’t an existing slotin R&B/hip-hop where the album fit. HB brought its marketingconcept to the front and it worked miracles for the midnight funk,soul, and jazz verbal virtuoso. HB said they were going to grabonto the new. In her first album, the CD put a new spin on the useof bonus and hidden tracks. There’s at least a dozen, including analternate version of “Love Rain” which gives us a peek into thefuture pairing of Scott and Mos Def on
Collaborations
. Scott,in fact, nominated for three Grammy nominations this year, just won her latest Grammy for her duet with Lupe Fiasco on“Daydreamin’.”In her own words, Scott says, “for an artist like myself, it has been my saving grace to work with Hidden Beach, to be a part of their family. I don’t know any other place, any other label that isas understanding of what it means to be an artist.I think that Hidden Beach feels mythical, because of what itmeans. It is a safe haven for artists to express themselves andshare the God-given talents that they have, and that I’m so grate-ful for. I’m just really, really grateful for that.With Hidden Beach creating the intern program, it’s almostlike an adoption of children that are waiting for a reason to believe in music. And that is really powerful. It’s really, reallypowerful to be able to invite young people into the industry sothey know how it works, and I really hope that the program willcontinue to bloom so that music may save the world.”When McKeever first spoke of discovering artists who wereRenaissance figures, he didn’t know about Jill Scott yet, but that isexactly what she has proven to be. In addition to her 12 Grammynominations and rousing live performances (captured in the“Live in Paris” DVD that debuted in the Top 5) she is currentlyproving herself to be an actress of considerable depthFollowing her debut in Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married,”she says acting has become a new joy for her. She made thescene at Sundance earlier in the year in support of her role in themovie “Hounddog,” starring Dakota Fanning, in which she playsBig Momma Thornton, the artist who originally sang the ElvisPresley hit. Jill is also currently in talks to star in several upcom-ing films and the singer/actress will star in her first lead role withOscar winning director Anthony Minghella (Cold Mountain/TheEnglish Patient) in “No.1 Ladies Detective Agency” (WeinsteinCo./HBO).Meanwhile she’s on the road now with On the Road NOW: TheReal Thing Tour featuring special guest Raheem DeVaughn.
For an artist like myself, it has beenmy saving grace to work with HiddenBeach, to be a part of their family.I don’t know any other place, any otherlabel that is as understanding of what it means to be an artist.
— 
Jill Scot 
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