Quality Control Music’s Pierre “P” Thomas Says ‘Stop Thinking People Are Selling Out’ As He Reacts To Backlash For Selling Record Label To HYBE America For $320M

Bang Si-Hyuk, Pierre “P” Thomas, Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Scooter Braun

Quality Control Music’s Pierre “P” Thomas Says ‘Stop Thinking People Are Selling Out’ As He Reacts To Backlash For Selling Record Label To HYBE America For $320M

Quality Control Music is officially under new management. 

CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and COO Kevin “Coach K” Lee have agreed to let HYBE America take over Quality Control Music — the Atlanta-based entertainment label overseeing music, sports, film, and television — for $320 million. On Feb. 9, one day after signing the lucrative deal, Pierre Thomas took to Instagram to seemingly address the criticism he’s facing for selling his label to Scooter Braun’s Company. In a lengthy statement, the 37-year-old wrote:

“I don’t usually post long notes but I recorded some thoughts tonight. There’s no value in separation. There is so much more value when people are working together and not hating and taking eachother down. Especially when you come from nothing. Stop thinking people are selling OUT.”

P continued:

“Instead see people are selling IN and see that you are building something to create more-for everybody. Black entrepreneurs are not getting these opportunities on a regular basis and they should be.”

Seemingly ready to move on with his career, he concluded:

“Let’s stay inspired and celebrate the blessings and leveling up and breaking of barriers. Ready For The Next Chapter.”

Kevin Lee founded QC back in 2013. Reportedly, since then, his former company has grown into one of the largest independent record labels in hip-hop, scoring over 37 billion streams last year. As you may already know, some notable artists currently signed to QC are rappers Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls, and the Migos. The stock and cash deal was led by HYBE America’s CEO Scooter Braun who initially became close with Pierre Thomas and Kevin Lee back in the early 2000s when he lived in Atlanta. 

Pierre P Thomas Kevin, Coach K Lee

According to reports, this major deal aligns with HYBE’s goal of building a global entertainment giant focused on music with other interests related to entertainment and culture. Scooter Braun‘s resume displays projects featuring Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kid Laroi, Migos member Quavo and others. HYBE’s current market cap reportedly stands at $6.6 billion. While announcing his latest business venture, Scooter Braun said:

“I am so proud and honored to have Coach and P join Bang and I as our partners.  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. I’ll never forget riding around Atlanta over 20 years ago with Coach 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.”

Scooter Braun

Pierre Thomas chimed in:

“HYBE are perfect partners for Quality Control as we come together to take our story and work global. 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. It matters to us greatly their grasp of culture and acutely seeing what QC has built and the limitless path of where it can go.”

P added:

“Over many years Scooter and I have cultivated real trust and a common way of looking at the world and culture. 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. The artists of QC are our focus and their best interests will be incredibly supported with this partnership.”

Despite the harsh criticism Pierre Thomas has received for selling his company, it’s important to note that the key architects of the deal — Braun, Lee, Thomas, and HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk — are all minorities

Braun, 41, noted:

 “It’s important to me and my team 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.”

Coach K shared:

“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 world-wide.” 

As previously reported, QC also has been struck by tragedy following the murders of rapper Marlo in 2020 and Migos member Takeoff, who was killed at a Houston bowling alley last November. 

Takeoff

What are your thoughts on Pierre Thomas and Kevin Lee signing their record label away? Tell us below.

[VIA]