Class of '07 Grad Moves the Internet Music Industry Dial
NEIRAD enilno edition
The music world is indisputably in a state of change. Music, once available exclusively on radio or record is now, mostly, available in various places free online. Some people see the online music revolution as a hindrance, “singer” T-Pain lamenting, “Ain’t nobody selling records unless you Susan Boyle.”
Yet some people see it as a tremendous opportunity for increasing the exposure of music and creating a more personal link between the artist and the listener. One such person is DHS alumnus Scott Perry, who graduated in 2007 and will graduate from Boston University this year, whose music blog Itsthebino.com (named after the character Hamilton “Hambino” Porter from The Sandlot) is fully embracing the Internet revolution.
itstheBino is described by Scott in the simplest terms as, “a hip hop music website where people can get new music,” and while the latest output from the most popular artists to the more obscure up and comers is readily available, the website extends far beyond that with interviews, concert coverage, and “hip hop news”.
The website sports an impressively large selection of media, as it is updated daily, but Scott insists that he is about quality not quantity, claiming that his main reason for posting new music was not to garner hits, but to provide music, “that people will really enjoy”. Darien Junior Eli Converse commended it, claiming, “it features a lot of good artists, and the layout is classy…there’s also a lot of variety in the artists”.
He explained that the website can be seen as, “a filter,” with videos from, “nine to 10 music blogs, filtered down into one”. Scott also spoke proudly of the website’s striking $1,000 visual design, saying, “I take design seriously, I wanted the design to come off impressively, and to look good”.
itstheBino began as nothing more than a casual music blog, but underwent a transformation into a serious project after Scott’s stint at VH1 over the summer. “I shut it down, and learned how to make it better,” Scott explained, “I learned how to do all the necessary computer skills”.
The website then became increasingly successful and refined, with 763 fans on Facebook, several artists participating in interviews, and new opportunities for shooting concert footage. Scott has experienced his own personal success through the website as well, participating in XM radio interviews, gaining exclusive concert-shooting access, and getting to meet (famous) rapper Busta Rhymes.
However, Scott is not content with the website’s status, excellent as it might be, he in intent on constantly improving and expanding. itstheBino’s motto, “all that jelly, no toast,” (a quote from Training Day), is meant to emphasize the fact that the site has endless potential, and that it is always up for improvement. Currently, Scott is looking to expand the site by bringing others on board, claiming that having a few partners on the project could greatly increase the output of the site and ease the work load which is as of now entirely managed solo.
So what sets itstheBino apart from other music blogs? Mostly, it’s the personal connection that it stresses between the artist and the listener. The extensive interviews and the effort at communication with the featured artists are meant to help eliminate the wall between the musicians and fans. Scott reflected on the site’s philosophy saying, “most sites just post music, but I wanted to create a relationship with the artist”.
The vision of itstheBino, is therefore, an outlet where listeners can develop a more personal connection with the artist, and the artist can gain increased exposure, a perfect two way street which, “the artist appreciates a lot more”. Currently 17 exclusive interviews are available on the site. Artists featured on the site have expressed their appreciation and respect of itstheBino in various interviews. One Connecticut artist, OnCue, thanked the website for, “supporting me when I wasn’t even making any emails to you, initially,” and praised it claiming, “itstheBino aesthetically is dope, and has original content with quality…the vision is great, it’s kind of like a little TV channel”.
Obviously as itstheBino grows, there are certain setbacks. Scott talked openly about the recent incident with OnSmash.com, a popular music website that was shut down, allegedly by the government, for leaking music. “Especially in the hip-hop genre, when leaks come out, and they get big enough, blogs and labels fight,” Scott said.
Scott defended the blogs for playing such a vital role in the modern industry, “when OnSmash closed there was lots of outrage because lots of people only became big because of blogs”. In his interview with itstheBino, artist OnCue praised blogs for their involvement in helping increase exposure to artists and spoke out for the need to change the way the music industry functions, “music is on the internet now, face it, the CD’s dead”.
However, while Scott acknowledges there is a large grey area regarding the blogs and leaked music, Scott still remains optimistic. “Now, blogs and labels are starting to work together, and using each other for promotion”. Scott hopes that itstheBino can maintain a productive partnership with artists and labels.
According to Scott, the future of the site is open to several possibilities. While it’s still going strong, Scott claims that the lack of partners in the venture makes it difficult to consistently update the site. He expressed an interest in working for MTV and said that the last few months have consisted of lots of job searching. What the future holds for itstheBino is unclear. But as of the present it remains one of the best music blogs out there, and possibly the most, “up close and personal”, music site running.
For a chance to win a free itstheBino Tri-Blend American Apparelshirt, log onto Facebook and like the itstheBino page between March 11th and March 15th. Thanks, Michael Coe
