Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, is an author, professor, public speaker, entrepreneur, music executive, artist manager and founder of Music World Entertainment. Based out of Houston, Music World Entertainment is celebrating over 25 years as one of the world’s leading music and entertainment conglomerates, with record sales exceeding $450 million worldwide, with artists Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, The O’Jays, Destiny’s Child, Solange and Beyoncé, just to name a few. Knowles is widely recognized in the entertainment industry for his approach to developing and promoting award-winning artists. Through Music World Entertainment and Artist Management, he has served as executive producer for more than 100 award-winning, platinum and gold albums in multiple genres, including pop, R&B, gospel, dance and country, as well as soundtracks and special-themed project.
I spoke with Mathew about launching Beyoncé and Destiny's Child to international fame, the latest trends in music marketing and some exciting new projects he has in the works.
Jackie Huba: Congratulations on all of your success in your extensive career in music and entertainment. Let’s go back to the beginning. Talk about your strategies in launching Destiny's Child.
Mathew Knowles: When we came into the industry, it was girl groups. It was SWV. There was Xscape. There was TLC. There was En Vogue. There was real girl‑group competition, but what set us aside was my former wife, Tina, did an incredible job in creating the image of Destiny's Child. Most of the groups back then were wearing baggy pants and boots. We came with glamour and glitz. Beyoncé did an incredible job of differentiating the sound of Destiny's Child in her songs. When you hear Destiny's Child, you know it based on the harmonies and the melodies.
There is music strategy but also branding as well. [Based on my time at AT&T, Xerox, Phillips and Johnson & Johnson,] it gave me a different view of the music industry than even the music industry had. We came in with a different concept of building a brand. What could we do to make Destiny's Child distinctive from their image, their sound, the name? We were about branding, not just the music. I came in with branding and endorsements. That was foreign at the time. No one was really doing that. We had brand partners [such as] L’Oreal, Nintendo, American Express. Also, our biggest relationship was with Walmart.
Huba: The connection with fans is also so important. Can you talk how important it was to have those grassroots connections with fans?
Knowles: It's critical...I was fortunate because with Destiny's Child, they had incredible talent, great songs. We had those strategic alliances, but also their ability to perform and building the fan base one show at a time, be it TV, be it on stage, on tour. The publicity and TV was so critical, but also was building that base one fan at a time. Especially now, with social media, the fans will certainly do the word of mouth for you.
Huba: When you work with your artists, even today, how do you help them understand how important growing a passionate fan base is?
Knowles: One thing that set Music World Entertainment apart is artist development. I've been an educator all my life pretty much. It's important as a manager and also as a record label, to educate your artists on public speaking, how to build that connection, how to communicate effectively, to have a general working knowledge of the music industry. That’s artist development. Destiny's Child -- Beyoncé, Kelly, Michelle -- and Solange...they’ve been in this business for over twenty years. They have a grasp of it [now]. Obviously, when they first got in the industry, I was mainly the architect because they were 15 years old. When we signed at Columbia Records, the girls were 15 and 16 years old. Obviously, they didn't have a working knowledge of the industry then. Now, I'm really proud to see what all of them have done on their own as artists. Now Beyoncé has her own Parkwood Entertainment. Solange just came out with her fourth album on March 1st. I'm really proud of what them. Now they're businesswomen.
Huba: In 2013, Beyoncé broke the Internet with her surprise album drop creating a huge amount of buzz. What was the thinking on taking that route that vs. traditional promotion?
Knowles: For the first two solo albums, I was joint venture record label and manager for Beyoncé. The last two albums I haven't been involved. I've been looking from the outside. But the most amazing thing to me is the fact of the secrecy of the record label. The fact that many people knew and nobody said a word. To me, that's the most incredible part of it all...how do you keep that a secret with a major record label like Columbia Records?
We have to understand that Beyoncé is iconic. Every artist can't do that. Only one percent of artists are really profitable and successful. Beyoncé is one‑tenth of one percent. When we talk about what she can do, ninety-nine percent of artists can't do that.
Huba: That self-titled album was a “visual album” where every track already had a video. Beyoncé wasn’t the first artist to do this but it was a huge achievement, which also didn’t leak. What is the significance of this complete package of music and visuals?
Knowles: I always smile whenever I hear somebody talk about Beyoncé being the first to do this visual album. You're right; some other artists did it. She learned from her dad. Destiny's Child had exclusive video anthology album at Walmart, and so did Beyoncé on her first album.
Huba: Do you feel like a lot of artists now need to do more than just the music? Do they need to add something to it to gain more attention and promotion for what they're offering?
Knowles: Every artist is not a visual artist. A lot of that has to do with imaging, the concept. I wouldn't recommend that for every artist. Again, when you look at Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and artists of that statue, they are visual artists. I believe the trend ‑‑ and this is a Mathew Knowles prediction ‑‑ the trend in the future is you will not hear music, you will see music. You'll see more and more artists using a visual concept.
Huba: Beyoncé has become a voice for women's empowerment, for example with the "Run the World (Girls)" song. How have you seen her grow into being more outspoken on these type of issues?
Knowles: You have to understand that was strategy, Jackie. "Independent Women," "Bootylicious," ...those are all female empowerment songs, starting with Destiny's Child, as always. What I'm really proud of Beyoncé and Solange, they understand the importance of creating the narrative. It's all about the narrative and how you position yourself with your narrative.
I'm very proud [of them]. Last year Solange had a number one album and a Grammy. Beyoncé and Solange are the first sisters in the history of music to have number one albums the same year. I get to now play the role as dad, which I embrace.
Huba: What are you working on next?
Knowles: We're working on a Destiny's Child play, which will be announced soon. It's from my perspective, from my next book that's coming out. I'm on my fourth book. My first book was The DNA of Achievers. My second book was Racism from The Eyes of a Child. I grew up in Alabama and I never went to a black school until Fisk University and I'm 66 years old. You can imagine what that was like. My third book was The Emancipation of Slaves Through Music. My next book is Destiny's Child: The Untold Story. People really don't know the true story of how it all unfolded from Girl’s Tyme, to the Dolls, to Something Fresh, to Cliché, to Destiny, to Destiny's Child and all the many members over those years. Nobody knows the real story. We get the sensationalism, but this will be the untold story, the real true story. I have people that worked with the girls since day one that I interviewed. Excited about that because it's time. I've learned that I always sat back in the back room, and was very comfortable with that. I do realize that, if I don't tell my story the way I want to tell it, somebody else will tell the story. I'm about now telling my story.
