One of the stops on our E3 tour had us meeting up with the folks at Def Jam Interactive and 4mm Games. We knew we were slated to see a collaborative effort between the two companies and that the game was geared exclusively towards the hip-hop demographic. Other than that, we were in the dark. But it didn't take long for us to grasp what the duo hoped to accomplish with Def Jam Rapstar. Read on for the scoop.

The Premise
The preconceived notion, and one we can't deny having had ourselves, is that Def Jam Rapstar is simply, rap karaoke. And who would blame skeptics for harboring the thought? Few games cater exclusively to the hip-hop crowd and even fewer fall within the music genre. Get on Da Mic, a title that debuted in 2004 to little fanfare, is the only game we recall with which to draw a parallel. But if Get on Da Mic proved anything, it's that music, no matter how good, can only carry you so far. If you're looking to score gamers in addition to hip-hop aficionados, you are going to need something a bit more engaging. And 4mm Games thinks they have just that.

So we can't blame Rapstar for having a poor (nonexistent) pedigree. But the lack of one affords them the opportunity to act as pioneers in this oft-ignored facet of the greater gamer culture.

The Music
Even though we established that the game isn't just karaoke, music is obviously at the core of the experience. Def Jam Rapstar features music from over 30 years of hip-hop from a variety of artists, not just those that fall under the Def Jam label. In our demo we were able to choose from T.I. "Whatever you like" and "Live your life," Young Jeezy "Put On," Kanye West "Golddigger," Notorious B.I.G. "Hypnotize," Pete Rock & CL Smooth "They Reminisce Over You," and Flo Rida "Right Round."

The visuals are simple and stylized, catering strongly to the vibe of the music. In a fashion similar to SingStar, music videos play in the background during the performance and a sleek black and gold interface allows players to scroll through the video library, watching clips until finding one they want to perform. No set list was revealed, but DLC was confirmed as something planned to keep the library fresh.

Custom beats will also be available, mixed by big hip-hop talent. Freestyle mode will allow users to show off their raw talent to these beats, singing their own lyrics and showcasing their creativity.

The Gameplay
On to the specifics. Def Jam Rapstar not only recognizes pitch, but speech and phoneme recognition software picks up on the tune, timing and accuracy of your words. Simply humming into the mic isn't going to work anymore. We can attest that even in a noisy room the game was able to pick up the performance without issue.

Def Jam Rapstar also integrates the use of the Xbox Vision Camera or PlayStation Eye. This allows players to create and share their own music videos, and in theory, allows them to become a real living Rapstar. After calibrating the camera to drop out the background, players can edit the video to change the location or even add props. But 4mm expects users to get creative enough without the use of the software. Nothing is stopping them from creating a set, complete with carefully chosen attire, real backup dancers and more. Ones style and swagger are key elements into gaining them recognition in the Rapstar community.

Speaking of community‚

The Community
The team behind Rapstar wants the title to become a medium for aspiring artists to promote themselves. And to do that they introduced an online portal to the mix. While the team's seamlessly integrated social networking application‚ sounds a bit to PR-speak for comfort, it's hard to come up with a better phrase for what 4mm implemented.

During the demo we watched the player edit and upload a 30-second clip of their performance by simply entering their email address into XBLA. After that, the video was automatically uploaded to their individual profile online.

The web aspect is where the real tribute to hip-hop culture lives. Every video uploaded is tagged by location and paired with a score. This lets the community easily search out the hottest rap star in Queens or Brooklyn. Better yet, the top contenders in any location can challenge each other to rap battles. It's even possible to have an email sent to you when someone beats your score, fully engrossing you in the Rapstar experience even when you are away from the console. The goal is to facilitate interaction between local hip-hop communities, although the game obviously is tailored for a global scale.

Some performances will be promoted and placed in a queue to play on the main page. This allows players a chance to craft themselves as a brand, getting fans amped up about an upcoming "show." Here other registered users can score you on your style, swagger, personality and everything else you can imagine. It's also possible to form crews and have crew wars based on your teams collective score. Higher scores equal more bragging rights over other crews on the site.

Def Jam Rapstar is slated to ship this winter. If you are a fan of hip-hop, rap and have a competitive spirit, this one is worth keeping on your radar.