30 May 25 Years of Hidden Beach Recordings: Join the Celebration
On June 1st, 2000, a celebration took place in Santa Monica, California — one that would quietly spark a cultural and creative movement. It was the launch party for Hidden Beach Recordings, and the room was filled with visionaries, artists, executives, and legends, including our founder Steve McKeever and none other than Michael Jordan, our first investor. The night marked the birth of a label committed to doing things differently — to giving artists room to breathe, to speak, to soulfully stretch.
Now, 25 years later, we look back not just with nostalgia, but with pride. From that fateful night to a catalog filled with Grammy-nominated albums, multi-platinum singles, and iconic releases that have stood the test of time, Hidden Beach has not only made history — we’ve built a tribe.
Hidden Beach has been a force in independent Black music for a generation — and it all started with a party. So today, we’re throwing another one. A year-long celebration — from June 1st, 2025 to June 1st, 2026 — honoring not just our label, but the people who paved the way. That means YOU.
We’re kicking off this year-long celebration during Black Music Month, honoring the June 1st, 2000 launch party and continuing all the way through July 18th, 2026 — the anniversary of our first official releases: Jill Scott’s Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 and Brenda Russell’s Paris Rain. These albums changed lives, and the legacy they launched still resonates across generations.
But this isn’t just our celebration — it’s yours!
We’re celebrating YOU —
YOU, the longtime fan who supported us from the beginning.
YOU, the intern who grew into a professional and paid it forward.
YOU, the artist who entrusted us with your message.
YOU, the marketing coordinator, assistant, street team member, publicist, producer, supporter, cheerleader, and believer.
This 25-year mark belongs to all of us.
Help us tell the full story. Submit a video, share your favorite memory, or just reconnect. This is your history too. Read our founder Steve McKeever’s heartfelt message below, and join the chorus of voices that made this label what it is today.
Music lovers with discriminating taste… YOU’VE FOUND YOUR TRIBE.
And this tribe is celebrating 25 years strong, let’s continue to celebrate music!