Ok, go ahead and hand me a super late pass on this (and I certainly deserve it considering I haven’t posted much of anything lately…my bad): apparently, while I was away from the interwebs, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan and Chesspark joined forces to launch Wuchess, a chess-centered social networking site with a hip-hop twist:

Designed for chess enthusiasts addicted to hip-hop music, WuChess.com is the place where your favorite music, movies and celebs will be all while you get your game on. WuChess members will get exclusive offers such as MP3s you can’t get anywhere else, playing a surprise celebrity guest, access to one of a kind video clips and many more surprises. This is hardcore chess with half the stuffiness.

Chess x Hip-Hop x Social Networking…you gotta love it! What I love even more is that Wuchess doesn’t come off as just another social networking site fronted by a hip hop artist. You know the ones…self promotion first and foremost, with cheesy graphics and cluttered user interfaces, and blogs that read just like the gazillions of other gossip and hip hop blogs already on the net. There’s none of that here. It’s all about introducing young members of the hip-hop generation to chess, and offering chess veterans an alternative online gaming spot with comfortable, hip-hop laced atmosphere. Oh, and they even have an account on Twitter!

My only gripe/question to you: Can you get down with the site’s $48 membership fee?