OTHERTONE PARTNERS WITH ITSTHEREAL FOR NEW PODCAST SERIES
NEW 10-PART AUDIO DOCU-SERIES EXPLORES HIP-HOP’S INTERNET BEGINNINGS AND IMPACT ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND POP CULTURE
NEW YORK, NY – April 20, 2023 – OTHERtone Media, the podcast network founded by Pharrell Williams and Scott Vener, has partnered with ItsTheReal creators Eric and Jeff Rosenthal, and have announced the launch of OTHERtone’s latest offering and the first two episodes of their new podcast series ‘The Blog Era’. A 10-part documentary-style audio series that examines 2007 through 2012, the transformative period of time known as “The Blog Era”. The nostalgic narrative series will acknowledge and tell the story of the known and unknown names that not only made a huge and lasting impact on pop culture with their contributions to this era but created the imprint for what would later become the foundation for today’s music industry.
The new series dives deep into a time when the internet changed the music business - an age where hip hop artist discovery on blogs would lead to mainstream success. A period in which there was no standardization of releases, best practices, or forecasting; DSPs as we know them today, and algorithms were but mere ideas - a wild west of music distribution and discovery. Hosts Eric and Jeff Rosenthal have accumulated interviews with 150 artists, bloggers, commenters, and executives and have recorded over 500 hours of original interviews over the span of three years. Having been on the front lines of Hip-Hop’s monumental cultural moments over the past 15 years, the brothers relive and unleash The Blog Era’s truth via Pharrell’s OTHERtone network.
“The blogs were the very definition of OTHER - outsiders with singular taste who paved their own way apart from the gatekeepers,” said OTHERtone founder Pharrell Williams, “and we’re excited to tell their inspiring story with The Blog Era podcast.”
"ItsTheReal was my first follow on Twitter, so I’ve been a fan of their work for a long time,” said OTHERtone co-founder Scott Vener. “When they first brought The Blog Era podcast to us at OTHERtone, I knew we had to jump on the opportunity to tell this incredible story about this crazy time in the music industry when the blogs birthed the careers of so many of today’s great artists.”
The first episode delves into the downfall of the music business as it was, as seen through the dynamic and heartbreaking artistic career of Joe Budden, today more known as a media personality, and introduces the world to Eskay, the reclusive founder of the most influential hip-hop blog NahRight. Laying the groundwork for the series, each episode will focus on moments behind the music throughout the era, from the rise and fall of hip hop’s gatekeepers to the unsung heroes, big business villains, and global superstars that it birthed. Featured guests throughout the series include Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, Joe Budden, Bun B, Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids, Dom Kennedy, Big K.R.I.T., Big Sean, Action Bronson, Charles Hamilton, Ebro, and more.
"The Blog Era is both an evolution of storytelling and an essential mission for us. We've dedicated the past three years to contextualizing the story of our generation: the American dream built up and then lost. To team with Pharrell and Scott is not just a bucket list partnership, but the only way to share this epic: authentically, completely and alongside those who were really outside." - Eric Rosenthal, ItsTheReal
“We didn’t set out to make a podcast: in 2023, everyone already has two of their own. We wanted to make a movie. This is a story deserving of that treatment. It’s not just about hip-hop, the internet, or even the hip-hop internet. It touches on so much: race, capitalism and how the powerful keep a tight grip. Even though it’s a documentary, we like to think it’s like Game of Thrones, only with a better ending.” - Jeff Rosenthal, ItsTheReal
Listeners can check out The Blog Era on all DSPs and via any other podcast platform. The show is a co-production between OTHERtone and ItsTheReal. Be sure to listen in and stay tuned for more news to follow.
