The hip hop sensation of the early '90s is now a web entrepreneur and poised for success combining user generated video and social networking with DanceJam. Guest host Liz Gannes interviews MC Hammer and learns what it will take to make dance online a success.
Liz Gannes, editor of NewTeeVee.com on the GigaOM network, fills in for Om and joins Joyce this week. That's right, the women have taken over, and they've got a lot to talk about!
You probably remember this week's guest for his slick dance moves back in 1990, but thankfully for us, MC Hammer's back, and he's gone entrepreneur! We grill him on DanceJam, his newest online dance project.
MC Hammer proves his geek cred as he explains what makes DanceJam special: a site dedicated to dance culture, allowing uses to submit videos of their dance styles, learn how to do the best dance moves for a particular style and find information about offline dance events. MC Hammer's input to the user interface is a particular area he's proud of with this project.
Online video and user generated content is an area that MC Hammer believes in. With methods to monetize video, for example with ads served by ScanScout.com, he sees the potential for online video coming to fruition. By harnessing the power of users who are interested in dance and creating videos about dance, DanceJam is positioned to be a home for that community. DanceJam is optimized for the dance community across all genres, such as ballroom dancing, salsa dancing, and cheerleader dance, providing a one stop for anyone interested in dance culture.
MC Hammer recognizes the value of his name and the brand association between his involvement and DanceJam, but believes the project is bigger than just his name and involvement. Success will be defined by adoption by the dance community, in the shape of both dancers and the professional dance industry in terms of casting dancers found on DanceJam.
DanceJam is not live yet, and while there has been a lot of buzz around the site, they do not have an announced live date yet.
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Don't miss the bonus holiday treat at the end of this week's show!
