Social Networking news and information

Claiming to be a hybrid of MySpace and YouTube, Crackspace attracts nothing but flack for their absurd name.  While not a hiphop fan, I can't help but wonder what they are trying to promote with a name like crackspace. 

The URL, HipHopCrack.com, is actually rather funny.  I can't help but hope they'll focus on it a little more.  However, all silly naming issues aside, the site is sleek and clean, with minimal advertising (the advertising actually 'adds to' the site).

And, just as important, they've got some big names behind this property.  From the press release:

Upon its launch, will feature world premieres of previously unreleased songs, remixes and videos from artists such as Ludacris, T.I., Diddy, Akon, Ghostface, Lloyd Banks, Hi-Tek, Jim Jones and Foxy Brown, available for promotional streaming.

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Chuck Wilson, founder of one of the nation's most successful independent urban labels (Babygrande Records), created through his newly formed Triumph Media Holdings, because he saw a need for a social networking & music/video site that catered to the urban community

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CrackSpace has formed a strategic partnership with Musicane, the company that will provide users with a unique player enabling all of the site's transactions. Another CrackSpace strategic partner is hh411.com (a popular hip-hop information site) which attracts nearly 400,000 unique visitors a day. TAG Strategic, a company started by digital media whiz, and former EMI Music Group Senior VP of Digital Development & Distribution, Ted Cohen, has been enlisted to consult after launch.

In order for a site like this to succeed, there has to be openness (ie not a proprietary player that won't transfer music easily) and a great deal of free content (if you have to pay for very much, most people will tire quickly and leave).  If they can avoid both of those No-Nos, CrackSpace may just serve a very profitable niche with style.