LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 8, 2026--
HYBE AMERICA today announced the appointment of Ethiopia Habtemariam as President of Music, effective immediately. A highly respected executive and cultural leader, Habtemariam joins HYBE AMERICA as the company continues to expand its influence across music, fandom, and global culture. In this role, Habtemariam will help advance HYBE AMERICA’s long-term growth strategy, spearheading A&R and artist development initiatives across the company’s label ecosystem and identifying new creative and commercial opportunities at the intersection of music, culture, and fandom. She will also play a key role in expanding HYBE AMERICA’s presence in Atlanta, her hometown and a global epicenter of R&B and hip-hop, further strengthening Quality Control’s presence and impact as Atlanta’s premier music company.
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“Ethiopia is a once-in-a-generation leader whose impact on artists, songwriters, culture, and the music business is undeniable,” said Isaac Lee, Chairman and CEO of HYBE AMERICA, to whom Habtemariam will report. “Her vision, taste, and strategic insight make her uniquely suited to help shape the next chapter of HYBE AMERICA as we continue building a future-facing entertainment company centered on artists and fans.”
Habtemariam is widely regarded as one of the most influential executives in the music industry, with a career defined by artist and songwriter-first leadership, cultural fluency, and the ability to build and scale enduring creative businesses. Most recently, she served as Chairwoman and CEO of Motown Records, where she led the iconic label through a period of revitalization and growth, championing both emerging and established artists while expanding Motown’s global reach and cultural relevance. During her tenure, she spearheaded the landmark Quality Control–Motown label venture, overseeing the signing and development of genre-defining artists including Lil Yachty, City Girls, Migos and Lil Baby while also signing and championing artists such as Leon Thomas and NBA YoungBoy to the storied label.
“I’ve long admired how HYBE AMERICA approaches artists, fans, and the future of entertainment,” said Habtemariam. “This is a company building with intention and investing for the long term while staying deeply connected to culture. I’m excited to contribute my experience as HYBE AMERICA continues to shape what’s next for music on a global scale.”
Prior to Motown, Habtemariam spent more than two decades at Universal Music Group, holding senior leadership roles across Universal Music Publishing, Capitol Music Group and Motown Records. Throughout her career, Habtemariam has worked with some of the most influential artists, songwriters and executives in modern music, shaping culture through a rare combination of creative instinct and business rigor. During her tenure at Universal Music Publishing, she played a pivotal role in the signing and development of influential artists and songwriters including Chris Brown, Theron Thomas, J. Cole, Justin Bieber, Ciara, Polow Da Don, Jhene Aiko, Cardo, Hit Boy, Keri Hilson and Happy Perez.
In her new role, she will continue to collaborate closely with Universal Music Group, reflecting the longstanding partnership between HYBE and UMG.
“Ethiopia and I have a long history of working together, pushing boundaries, and breaking barriers in this industry,” said Pierre “P” Thomas, CEO, Quality Control Music. “Her passion for artists, commitment to culture, and deep understanding of the music landscape make her an extraordinary leader. I’m excited for what we will build together in this next chapter.”
“Working with Ethiopia again feels full circle. From the early days in Atlanta, we built something special at Quality Control, and it means a lot to see that legacy continue in this next chapter,” said Kevin "Coach K" Lee, COO, Quality Control Music.
Habtemariam will be based in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
About HYBE AMERICA
HYBE AMERICA, a subsidiary of HYBE Corp., is a leading global entertainment and media company at the intersection of music, film, television, technology, brands, culture and social good. HYBE AMERICA drives innovation across the entertainment landscape through its diverse portfolio, including Big Machine Label Group and Quality Control Music in the U.S., and HYBE’s labels in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market. The company represents a powerhouse roster of global artists spanning multiple genres and cultures. With headquarters in Los Angeles, HYBE AMERICA creates synergistic opportunities for artists, businesses, and brands through its integrated approach to talent development, content creation, and technological innovation that transcends industries.
Photo Credit: The Vxsionary
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Artemis II astronauts fired their engines and blazed toward the moon Thursday night, breaking free of the chains that have trapped humanity in shallow laps around Earth in the decades since Apollo.
The so-called translunar ignition came 25 hours after liftoff, putting the three Americans and a Canadian on course for a lunar fly-around early next week. Their Orion capsule bolted out of orbit around Earth right on cue and chased after the moon to nearly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.
It was the first such engine firing for a space crew since Apollo 17 set out on that era’s final moonshot on Dec. 7, 1972. NASA said that preliminary reports indicate it went well.
NASA had the Artemis II crew stick close to home for a day to test their capsule’s life-support systems before clearing them for lunar departure.
Now committed to the moon, the Artemis II test flight is the opening act for NASA’s grand plans for a moon base and sustained lunar living.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will dash past the moon then hang a U-turn and zip straight home without stopping on land. In the process, they will become the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth, breaking the Apollo 13 distance record set in 1970. They also may become the fastest during their reentry at flight’s end on April 10.
Glover, Koch and Hansen already have made history as the first Black, the first woman and the first non-U.S. citizen to launch to the moon. Apollo’s 24 lunar travelers were all white men.
To set the mood for the day’s main event, Mission Control woke up the crew with John Legend’s “Green Light” featuring Andre 3000 and a medley of NASA teams cheering them.
“We are ready to go,” Glover said.
Mission Control gave the final go-ahead minutes before the critical engine firing, telling the astronauts that they were embarking on “humanity’s lunar homecoming arc” to bring them back to Earth.
Koch replied: “With this burn to the moon, we do not leave Earth. We choose it.”
The next major milestone will be Monday’s lunar flyby.
Orion will zoom 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) beyond the moon before turning back, providing unprecedented and illuminated views of the lunar far side, at least for human eyes. The cosmos will even treat the Artemis II astronauts to a total solar eclipse as the moon temporarily blocks the sun from their perspective.
While awaiting their orbital departure earlier Thursday, the astronauts savored the views of Earth from tens of thousands of miles high. Koch told Mission Control that they can make out the entire coastlines of continents and even the South Pole, her old stomping ground.
“It is just absolutely phenomenal,” radioed Koch, who spent a year at an Antarctic research station before joining NASA.
NASA is counting on the test flight to kickstart the entire Artemis program and lead to a moon landing by two astronauts in 2028. Orion’s toilet may need some design tweaks before that happens.
The so-called lunar loo malfunctioned as soon as the Artemis crew reached orbit Wednesday evening. Mission Control guided astronaut Koch through some plumbing tricks and she finally got it going, but not before having to resort to using contingency urine storage bags.
Controllers also managed to bump up the cabin temperature. It was so cold earlier in the flight that the astronauts had to dig into their suitcases for long-sleeved clothes.
The contingency urine bags came in handy later in the day. Mission Control ordered the crew to fill a bunch of the empty bags with water from the capsule’s dispenser. A valve issue arose with the dispenser following liftoff, and NASA wanted plenty of drinking water on hand for the crew in case the problem worsened. The astronauts used straws and syringes to fill the pouches with more than 2 gallons (7 liters) worth before pivoting to the moon.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
In this photo provided by NASA, a view of the Earth from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it orbits above the planet during the Artemis II test flight, on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by NASA, an Artemis program patch floating in the International Space Station's cupola, on March 30, 2026. (Jessica Meir/NASA via AP)
Spectators view NASA's Artemis II moon rocket launch from the A. Max Brewer Bridge, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Titusville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Spectators view NASA's Artemis II moon rocket launch from the A. Max Brewer Bridge, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Titusville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
NASA's Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
NASA's Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
NASA's Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
