A few years ago, Bad Boy utilized i-Squad, a digital street team system where fans were encouraged to promote Bad Boy artists by requesting their videos on TV, songs at radio, participating in contests and more. In exchange for this, the members of the team were given points that could be redeemed for merchandise and memorabilia. I actually participated in the Bad Boy i-Squad pages and racked up a lot of points.

However, in July of 2006, they opted to close their groups, leaving many members with unused points. It left a sour taste in my mouth and with plenty of others, I am sure. What made it particularly bad was there was no attempt to make nice - there was no warning or opportunity to use your points on whatever was available. They simply closed it.

Today, Bad Boy launched a similar effort, working with i-Squad competitor Fancorps. You can now join the Bad Boy Street Team on Fancorps (if you'd like me to get credit, please say that iFroggy referred you. I appreciate it).

Once registered, you'll be given a profile and access to a list of orders which will update over time. Orders are basically jobs or tasks that you are currently asked to do that can earn you points. Things like requesting "Love Come Down" on Hot 97 and adding "Love Come Down" by Dirty Money to your MySpace profile. I was concerned going in that some of the orders would ask members to spam or post advertisements on forums, blogs, etc. that they did not own. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The one questionable thing that is currently being asked is for people to post multiple reviews of a single song on iTunes, which is misleading and likely a violation of iTunes terms of service. So, you might want to skip that one.

In the "Propaganda" section, you'll find Bad Boy related graphics, eCards, embeddable videos and more, making it easier to share the latest label happenings. There is a Twitter background, a forum signature and some graphics advertising the release of "Angels" and "Love Come Down."

The store, where you can redeem your points, currently offers a promo CD for Dirty Money's "Angels," an audio drop or shout out from Dirty Money for your blog or website, an autographed Dirty Money poster and an unsigned one. The shout out is currently not available for purchase, however.

The "Intel" section appears to be an attempt at localizing promotional efforts, providing a list of companies, stores and venues in the area where music could presumably be promoted. Some make a lot of sense, some ("Counseling/Treatment Centers"? "Smoke Shops"?) don't.

In all, I would say that it is a worthwhile fan experience. Unfortunately, given what happened with the i-Squad, it is difficult for one to trust that the points collected will actually be redeemable. But, if you are a fan of Bad Boy or it's acts and have some time to help promote and earn some points and, hopefully, some free stuff, I'd say to at least take a look. Take it lightly and enjoy it for what it is.