MC Hammer Gets Into Web Search Game

SAN FRANCISCO (TheStreet) -- Who says Google (GOOG) has to rule search? Not rapper MC Hammer who on Wednesday unveiled WireDoo, a so-called relational search engine that he's involved with.

"Do we need another search engine?" he asked at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco. "What if [Google co-founders] Sergei and Larry hadn't tried."

Hammer, an entertainer turned angel investor and start-up advisor, said however the service isn't intended to compete head-on with Google, but to provide complementary data around a search query.

A search for one zip code, for example, would pull up data on schools, crime rates and shopping. Users could then search further for more specific information like average SAT scores for the schools and expulsion rates.

Hammer, a Silicon Valley native, has high hopes for the service.

"Why not swing for the fences...no one is playing for singles in the Valley anymore," he said.

Hammer is just one of several celebrities, including Ashton Kutcher and Justin Timberlake, who are actively involved in the tech scene. He was also one of the earliest users of Twitter and speaks frequently about the marketing power of social media.

--Written by Olivia Oran in San Francisco.



>To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/Ozoran.

>To submit a news tip, send an email to: [e-mail].