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Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
Hybe America buys Quality Control label
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 9 February 2023
South Korean entertainment firm Hybe has further expanded its US interests by buying itself QC Media Holdings, the Atlanta-based company which owns the Quality Control Music label that boasts a roster including Migos, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty and City Girls.
The deal – reportedly worth at least $300 million – pushes Hybe properly into hip hop within the US. Its American division – created by Hybe’s big deal with artist manager Scooter Braun – currently consists of the Big Machine record company and Braun’s own management firm SB Projects. The latter manages Quavo from Migos, meaning there is a pre-existing business relationship between Braun and the Quality Control business.
In statements confirming the deal, Quality Control co-founders Pierre ‘P’ Thomas and Kevin ‘Coach K’ Lee talk a lot about the alliance with Hybe in the US and beyond helping them to achieve their global ambitions.
“Hybe are perfect partners for Quality Control as we come together to take our story and work global”, says Thomas. “All of Hybe’s leaders are entrepreneurs with phenomenal, combined history finding talent and taking it to the highest levels. Taking QC worldwide requires key partners like this who understand building something from the bottom and aiming sky high”.
Meanwhile, Lee adds: “P and I are ecstatic about this partnership with Scooter and Hybe and are confident they can get us to our global ambitions we’ve had in our scope since the beginning of our company as nothing means more than our artists impacting worldwide. Over many years Scooter and I have cultivated real trust and a common way of looking at the world and culture”.
Lee also notes that Hybe has an existing alliance with Universal Music, which is Quality Control’s distribution partner. “An added bonus of this partnership is the fact that both QC and Hybe have existing relationships with the UMG family and that will create an easy flow that will benefit the artists”, he goes on. “The artists of QC are our focus and their best interests will be incredibly supported with this partnership”.
But what does Braun have to say about all this? “QC is one of the most significant independent labels in the world, working with incredible artists who are, and remain to be, the voices of culture”, says he.
“I’ll never forget riding around Atlanta over 20 years ago with Coach”, he then reminisces, “discussing our dreams and ambitions and how we said: ‘If they let us in the game, we are never going to give it back’”.
“Now, all these years later, we are joining forces to make these dreams a reality. It’s important to my team and me that P and Coach continue to have the freedom, and now our global resources, to continue to do what they do best; facilitate and nurture great art and culture”.
Briefly name-checking overall Hype boss man Bang Si-hyuk, Braun also adds: “I am so proud and honoured to have Coach and P join Bang and myself as our partners”.
