If you haven't heard, Jay-Z recently launched a lifestyle site called Life + Times. There's an introductory video of sorts to give you kind of idea of the types of things they'll be covering - just about everything related to social culture. I know next to nothing about the world of Jay-Z and couldn't comment how any of the content is directly related to his interests or personality but I can say that it's a rather interesting layout and user experience. At the root of it, it's a traditional blog but the way the information is presented is unique. Music posts are oddly enigmatic until you click to hear the song, the search is huge (but not the biggest I've seen), etc. etc.

Long story short, even if you have no interest in a Culture Site - you should check it out for the design and user experience. And then maybe commend Area17 for a job well done.