MC Hammer has a new company - DanceJam

MC Hammer, one of the original rap artists, has a new company called DanceJam. I first met Hammer 7 years ago when I was at Napster. MC Hammer is a music artist, but he is also a businessman. He understood the potential of Napster, and sees another opportunity with dance videos. 

DanceJam hasn't launched yet, but Hammer gave me a demo of the site. DanceJam can best be described as YouTube mashed up with American Idol. Users can contribute their own dance videos to the site for others to see and vote on. The DanceJam people set up "Dance Offs" where they put two dance videos up against each other and have the user community vote for a winner. After several rounds of voting they declare a champion.

DanceJam has some serious angel investors. Ron Conway and Mike Arrington have already invested, along with several serial entrepreneurs whose names you would know.

There are some obvious revenue possibilities here. The music companies are interested. Advertisers are interested. Keep an eye on this one. It could be The Next Big Thing in music video.

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Comments

[Thomas]

A great businessman?!? Don, you've really taken the cake with this one. Hammer went bankrupt because he didn't have any business skills. I hope you didn't have Microsoft invest in this -- can you say Kibu.com?

[paul]

Don, are any of the TC40 built on the Microsoft Platform?

I was walking the Halls of the Palace Hotel yesterday, Axosoft and Data360 were the only ones I found.

[jimmy]

go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer go hammmer
hammago
hammago
hammago
hammago
hammago
and the rest for MCA.
caint touch this.

[Don Dodge]

Thomas, all business people have experienced some failures. You aren't trying hard enough or pushing far enough if you haven't failed. Great business people move beyond that and try again. That is true of entrepreneurs and music artists. I applaud Hammer for branching out into the Internet business.

[chris]

Hammer may have thought he had the idea first but he did not, he just had the people with the money my site has been up for about two months, I just dont know the right people I guess.

[Whoopie]

Ummm, I could just make a channel on youtube and do the same thing. Of course anon here doesnt have HammerTime background.

He'd be better off having a sponsored DanceJam channel through YouTube, rather then a whole website. Maybe that is the overall goal?

[baybeast ent.]

HAMMER IS ONE OF THE ONLY MEN IN THIS WORLD WHO HELP AND INSPIRED HIS COMMUNITY WITH HIS VISION. ONCE HES ON, ITS ON AND AS A WEST COAST TRENDSETTER, MARKETING GURUS,RECORD LABEL EXECS ALWAYS WILL NEED TO GET TO HEART OF THE INTRESS OF BUYERS. SO WHAT I AM SAYING IS,that the money is in the hood where poverty exist,where desires,dreams, wishes and needs are hoped for.So when somebody such as hammer comes out, we know where he comes from, and we are his following,ready to follow a leader whos been there and done that!. THIS PLATFORM IS AN PRIVILEGE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE US NOT US SEE THEM. SO IF YOU ARE WITH HAMMER WE WILL SEE YOU TOO!!!!GET YOUR P.O.PEEZE READY MARKETERS CUZ HAMMA GONE GO!!.( SOMETHING EVERY HOOD KNOWS WE NEED )

[kpli]

Hi..just stopping by to say a Happy New Year...interesting post there, and i've bookmarked this blog too...keep up the good job ;)

[Rumah Sabul Tumpangan]

Hi..just stopping by to say a Happy New Year...interesting post there, and i've bookmarked this blog too...keep up the good job ;)

[AI Fan]

I have to say that I can really see Dancejam taking off. I think if it runs at a good speed it has HUGE potential.

[BW]

I've enjoyed DanceJam. It's not going to save the world or anything, but it's a really fun site.