HYBE Expands into the US with Purchase of Quality Control Record Label
HYBE America Acquires Quality Control Music for $320 Million
In a significant move towards global expansion, HYBE America, the American subsidiary of the South Korean entertainment company HYBE, has acquired Quality Control Music (QC) for approximately $320 million. This deal marks Scooter Braun's first major move as CEO of HYBE America.
The Atlanta-based entertainment company, founded by Kevin "Coach K" Lee and Pierre "P" Thomas in March 2013, is renowned for managing major hip-hop and rap artists such as Lil Baby, Migos, City Girls, and Lil Yachty, among others.
In a statement, Scooter Braun, CEO of HYBE America, praised QC as one of the most outstanding independent labels in the world. He emphasized the importance of allowing Coach and P to continue operating with freedom while also providing them with more resources for talent development.
HYBE, the company behind BTS, plans to utilize a wide-ranging portfolio and modern technology to spread and add global depth to hip-hop. The company's market value stands at $6.6 billion, and its portfolio includes other record labels like SB Projects and Big Machine Label Group, which includes artists like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kid Laroi, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, and Thomas Rhett.
The deal also involved a merger with QC, which HYBE sees as crucial to their plan to innovate the entertainment industry. HYBE America aims to create a global entertainment conglomerate engrained in music and extend affiliations in other entertainment and lifestyle platforms.
The partnership is significant for HYBE's plan to innovate the entertainment industry. The leaders of HYBE are praised for their history of finding talent and guiding it to the highest levels. HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk believes the partnership is crucial to their plan to innovate the entertainment industry.
Coach K and P, founders of QC, expressed excitement about the partnership with HYBE and Scooter Braun. They are confident that HYBE can help them achieve their global aspirations. In a statement, they acknowledged the QC artists as the voices of hip-hop culture.
The deal cost about $320 million, paid in stock and cash. Scooter Braun has an existing relationship with Coach and P, dating back to the 2000s when he resided in Atlanta.
In the wake of this merger, there have been leadership changes and operational restructuring. Scooter Braun, who initially led HYBE America's expansion after the Ithaca acquisition and the Quality Control purchase, stepped down as CEO of HYBE America in July 2025. He continues to serve as a board member and strategic advisor. His successor, Isaac Lee, previously headed HYBE’s Latin American division, now leads HYBE Americas, signaling a deeper integration of HYBE’s U.S. and Latin American operations.
This merger has solidified HYBE’s footprint in the U.S. music industry, combining its K-pop expertise with Quality Control’s strong influence in hip-hop and rap. The move is part of HYBE’s transformation from a Korean entertainment company to a global music lifestyle platform, reinforcing its competitive position internationally. Coach K stated that the partnership with HYBE is crucial to QC's global ambitions.
- The acquisition of Quality Control Music by HYBE America for approximately $320 million expands HYBE's portfolio, now featuring major artists not only from K-pop but also the hip-hop and rap genres, which includes the work of artists like Lil Baby, Migos, City Girls, and Lil Yachty.
- The fusion of HYBE America and Quality Control Music marks a new chapter in the entertainment industry, as the leaders behind this merger aim to innovate the sector by combining the strength of hip-hop, as exemplified by Quality Control's roster, with HYBE's modern technology and a wide-ranging portfolio.
