Today marks the launch of Cyllus.com, an interactive service that brings the model used in fantasy sports to the music industry. Fans of all genres are allowed to sign up for accounts and compete for curating the ultimate record label. HipHopDX spoke to Chris Franco, an executive producer for Cyllus and an avid Hip Hop fan, about the interactive game. “Like a lot of devoted Hip Hop fans, I pride myself on being able to identify the next big thing in Hip Hop music,” said Franco. “However, before Cyllus there was no objective way to determine who was the most skilled at that type of thing. With the creation of Cyllus, music fans like us now have a way to prove our ability to identify the next big thing in music and get rewarded for it as our fantasy record labels rise on the Cyllus Scoreboard week-by-week.” Franco continued, “We also had a desire to create something that was completely unique so we are extremely proud to say that Cyllus is the first site of it’s kind and the leader of a brand new category.”
Looking within the Hip Hop genre, Franco was asked for several examples of a blue chip artist by Cyllus’ standards. “Considering that our artist algorithm factors things like concert ticket sales and social media presence – and much more, I think Freddie Gibbs, Big K.R.I.T., and Odd Future would be great examples of rappers who would perform well. I think the rappers who will not perform well are those that are kidding themselves about how popular they actually are. Our algorithm doesn’t factor rapper’s personal opinions of themselves. It’s objective. Also, rappers who have ‘peaked’ in their popularity aren’t necessarily going to do that well because Cyllus rewards the fantasy record labels that have artists who are growing in popularity.”
As the first site of its kind, Franco also spoke about the company’s overall mission. “The goal for Cyllus is first and foremost to be the first site to offer a music experience that revolves around the competition between fantasy record labels. We set out to be the leader of this new category, and that’s exactly what we will accomplish tomorrow when we launch. Beyond that, though, we want to facilitate a revolutionary way for fans to discover music; a way to discover music like never before, specifically through competition. Furthermore, we want artists who deserve more attention than they are currently receiving to benefit from our game by getting that attention.”
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With the rise of fantasy sports in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Franco also spoke about the potential for growth. “Obviously we would like every artist and every music fan on the planet to make a profile, but for now our plan is to ensure we offer the best possible user experience for both artists and fans. In the coming weeks we will addressing any issues users may have and making adjustments to our algorithm to make the fantasy record label game as accurate and enjoyable as possible.”
