VH1 Searches For Next "Great White Rapper"

With Eminem seemingly turning his focus to movies and Vanilla Ice being, well Vanilla Ice, there's a hole in the hip-hop community. But, never fear, VH1 is going to introduce America to the next great "white rapper" via a new reality series that is in the works.

But, this won't be "Malibu's Most Wanted." These competitors are heading to hip-hop's birthplace in the South Bronx to battle it out to see who is a wannabe and who is the real thing.

Jim Ackerman, VH1's Senior V.P. of Development and Production and Programming, tells TMZ that finalists have been whittled down from a nationwide search and production will begin shortly. The contestants will live together in the South Bronx and in addition to enduring various "musical challenges" like freestyle rap-offs, the rappers' "authenticity" will also be tested with various "cultural trials" where they will interact with the Bronx community. MC Serch (a/ka Michael Berrin) from Third Base will host and various old school and current rap stars will visit as judges.