MC Hammer to rival Google with new search engine WireDoo

Published Oct 20 2011, 18:08 BST  |  By Andrew Laughlin

MC Hammer, the US rapper best known for hit record 'U Can't Touch This', has announced plans to challenge Google, Bing and Yahoo by launching his own search engine.

The 49-year-old, real name Stanley Kirk Burrell, appeared at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco this week to unveil WireDoo, which he claimed will offer a "deeper type of search".

He explained that the service adds "relationship" information around search results, such as a search for 'car' also throwing up information on models, mileage, insurance quotes, and even dealerships near your location.

"I thought it would be interesting to share one of the things I was working on. It's not an attempt to reinvent search. You can always make things better," said Burrell.

"We were working on what we could do with data to make it better. I'll be careful when I say that - I just saw [Google co-founder] Sergei [Brin] in the back."

Burrell, who filed for bankruptcy in April 1996, has also previously invested in Dance Jam, a community website hosting videos of dancing competitions.

The rapper said that he had begun investing in technology start-ups after seeing the potential of data and information driven businesses.

He is the latest in a string of celebrities to back technology firms, including Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher, who is involved in Foursquare, Flipboard, Chegg and the online travel company Hipmunk, along with Napster founder Sean Parker's latest venture Airtime.

MC Hammer's WireDoo is currently in early testing, and a launch has not been announced.

Watch the MC Hammer 'U Can't Touch This' video below: