Quality Control brings a talented group to HYBE that includes Migos and Lil Baby, among others. It also boasts a sports division that represents the likes of Alvin Kamara.
The winner of today’s trade deadline may be Coach K.
First reported by Variety, the business mind behind Migos, Lil Baby, City Girls, and Lil Yachty has just sold Atlanta-based entertainment company Quality Control to HYBE America for a deal valued at $320 million in stock and cash.
Coach K, born Kevin Lee, serves as COO of QC Media Holdings, Inc. alongside CEO Pierre “P” Thomas.
“P and I are ecstatic about this partnership,” Coach K said. “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 world-wide.”
For those who may not know, HYBE is a South Korean company that houses K-Pop power BTS.
In 2023, Forbes places the supergroup’s value somewhere north of $120 million. While BTS serves as the north star of HYBE, they’re only the first part of the puzzle.
Just two weeks ago, industry vet Scooter Braun was named CEO of HYBE America. Though Braun is best known for breaking Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber, his musical roots reside in both Atlanta and hip-hop.
As a college student, Braun attended Emory University in Georgia. At that time, his music hustle started by signing rapper Asher Roth as his first artist. In a matter of months, Roth was quickly the delight of NahRight posts, DJ Drama x Don Cannon mixtapes, and eventually a record deal with Def Jam.
Based on relationship and intel, Braun brokering this deal with HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk makes sense for all involved. Not only has Braun known Coach K for two decades, he knows the landscape of ownership and distribution inside out.
This enormous acquisition is a testament to the hard work of K and P. It’s also a win for the South Korean company’s intent on globalization.
While gigantic abroad, HYBE — with the help of Quality Control — looks to further its footprint on US soil where much music and entertainment is produced and sold.
Braun serving as the middleman should ensure that all entities continue to keep the same energy that got them to this place of profit.
“It’s important to me and my team that P and Coach continue to have the freedom and now our global resources,” Braun said in the announcement. “To continue to do what they do best: facilitate and nurture great art and culture.”
As alluded to, that is exactly what Coach K and P do best.
Over the course of their collective careers, P and K have not only built the brands of QC artists that have amassed over 37 billion streams, but they’ve also helped architect icons like Gucci Mane and Jeezy. On top of that, they’ve launched Quality Control Sports which represents Alvin Kamara and an array of other NFL athletes.
From a label standpoint, much of the music will still be overseen on American soil as QC’s stable of artists will remain tied to Universal Music Group.
Variety makes the important point that the parties that did the deal are all minorities where American demographics are concerned. Additionally, each entity under the HYBE umbrella is said to employ numerous female execs across the board.
Currently, HYBE America manages the likes of Ariana Grande, the Kid Laroi, Sheryl Crow, Rascal Flatts, and Tim McGraw when considering their assets at SB Projects and Big Machine Label Group.
By bringing in QC, arguably the most blossoming brand in hip-hop, HYBE’s $6.6 billion market cap crosses over not just hemispheres but a wide gamut of musical tastes.
“This partnership is a vital part of our plan to innovate the entertainment industry through a diversified portfolio and innovative technologies,” HYBE chairman Si-Hyuk said.
“We will work together to continue adding to the global depth of hip-hop.”
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