WHAT'S HOT
Inside HYBE’s Latin Expansion With HYBE Latin America CEO Jonghyun ‘JH’ Kah
Published
4 days agoon
By
Leila Cobo
Following its acquisition of Exile Music last November, HYBE is expanding its global entertainment empire in Latin America, launching new offices in Mexico City, Miami and Los Angeles and introducing new properties to its Latin-focused operation.
The move includes the introduction of a new label, Docemil Music, and the rebranding of Exile Music as Zarpazo. Another Exile division, Exile podcasts, will be rebranded as Ajá Podcasts.
Related
HYBE Enters Latin Market With Exile Music Acquisition
11/13/2023
“Latin music is one of the fastest-growing genres in the global market,” says Jonghyun “JH” Kah, CEO of HYBE Latin America. “Additionally, there are very nimble and smart independent local music companies that aim to change the status quo by developing new acts and really sticking with them.”
By the same token, adds Kah, the Latin market is unique in the longevity enjoyed by its artists, and older songs have a long shelf life. “We aim to rediscover the soul of Latin sound and make it a global phenomenon by focusing on talent that resonates with different generations and has a defining impact on the music world, not just within the Latin sphere,” he says.
The company’s executive team includes Jeremy Norkin, who co-founded Exile Music and is now serving as HYBE Latin America’s COO. Elsewhere, Docemil will be headquartered in Mexico City and led by GM Fernando Grediaga, who brings over 23 years of industry experience, including stints at EMI Music and Universal Music, among others. Zarpazo, formerly Exile Music, is based in Miami and will be led by Grediaga and Santiago Duque, who formerly worked at Rimas Entertainment and Sony Music. Zarpazo’s roster includes emerging artists Magna and Chicocurlyhead.
HYBE Latin America also includes a boutique touring agency led by Norkin with a diverse roster that includes Quevedo, Cypress Hill, Nach, KHEA and Marc Seguí.
In expanding in Latin America, HYBE is looking to tap into a burgeoning market with no genre borders, says Kah.
“We see a lot of diversity in Latin music, and we are not bound to any particular genre. As K-pop can encompass many different genres of music, I believe Latin music can be more diverse in many ways,” he says. “As music transcends boundaries, our targets cannot be confined to geographical borders. Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world, which is why we are headquartered in CDMX. Nonetheless, the U.S. Hispanic market is just as big or perhaps even bigger than Mexico. We’re also keeping in mind that Latin artists come from all over the world, including the Americas and Europe.”
HYBE, of course, is known for developing mega K-pop stars like BTS via a sophisticated artist identification and development infrastructure. “HYBE always seeks out the best talent, allows them to discover their authentic voice, and connects them with their fans. K-pop’s training system is competitive since we’re trying our best to train well-rounded professional artists,” says Kah. “In our new endeavors, we will scout for talent and provide them with the tools they need to improve. Our goal is to ensure that our artists discover their own unique voices and establish stronger relationships with their fans than ever before.”
That said, Kah adds that HYBE Latin America “won’t just be replicating our practices from Korea, or from the U.S.” Rather, he says, “our system will try to seek the best of both worlds. The Korean approach is highly exclusive, and the initial costs are extremely high. In Latin America, we want to revamp our model, we want to plant seeds and see how they grow. It took K-pop more than a decade to get to where it is. I hope that in 10 years we can confidently say we made the same unique success here.”
Leila Cobo
GloRilla – TGIF (Official Music Video)
Shaboozey Gets ‘Tipsy’ With Help From J-Kwon at the 2024 BET Awards: Watch the Performance
Kanye West Sued By Former Employees Over NSFW Content, Abuse & Nonpayment
Marsha Ambrosius Shares Working With Dr. Dre On ‘CASOBLANCO’ & Favorite Tracks Off It | BET Awards 2024
Flavor Flav Celebrates Four Years Sober With PSA For Media Outlets
TREBLE: Chicago’s Rising Star in R&B
Troche: From Chicago’s Streets to Music Stardom – An Exclusive Interview
Exclusive Interview with Mac Nif
OCTAVION DAVIS: RISING ARTIST PAVES THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE OF HIP-HOP
From Radio Waves to Vintage Fashion Craze: Gillette W.T.N Vintage Sets New Records in 2023
GloRilla – TGIF (Official Music Video)
310babii – Soak City (Do It) (Official Video)
DABABY – DONE TRYING (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Spinabenz, Whoppa Wit Da Choppa, Yungeen Ace, & FastMoney Goon – Who I Smoke (Official Music Video)
Juelz Santana ft Jadakiss – Party N Bullsh*t (Official Music Video)
TRENDING
GloRilla – TGIF (Official Music Video)
Stream “TGIF” out now: https://GloRilla.lnk.to/TGIF Stream ‘Ehhthang Ehhthang’ out everywhere: https://glorilla.lnk.to/EhhthangEhhthang Follow #GloRilla: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glorillapimp/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GloTheofficial TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glorilla03 Facebook:...
Shaboozey Gets ‘Tipsy’ With Help From J-Kwon at the 2024 BET Awards: Watch the Performance
The Beyoncé Effect is real. Shaboozey followed fellow country star Tanner Adell with 2024 BET Awards’ second performance highlighting the...
Kanye West Sued By Former Employees Over NSFW Content, Abuse & Nonpayment
Kanye West is reportedly being sued by at least one former employee, who claims they were subjected to “forced labor...
Marsha Ambrosius Shares Working With Dr. Dre On ‘CASOBLANCO’ & Favorite Tracks Off It | BET Awards 2024
Marsha Ambrosius Shares Working With Dr. Dre On ‘CASOBLANCO’ {{ result.published_at | date: “%h %d, %Y” }} \ Katie Cao...
Flavor Flav Celebrates Four Years Sober With PSA For Media Outlets
Flavor Flav is on a mission to not only take better care of himself but also do good for others....