Even those Bay Area residents who are normally non-plussed about sports can't ignore the excitement brewing in the days/hours lead up to today's important hometown football game when the San Francisco 49ers host the New York Giants in the NFC championship at 3pm (6pm EST) at Candlestick Park. This game is of nail-biting importance for football fans in the Bay since it offers a shot at the Super Bowl for their beloved Niners who are the underdog in today's sold-out game. Artists feeling this excitement that had to express their feelings via hip-hop include such local rap artists as Bailey and his uplifting 49er rap anthem "Who's Got It Better Than Us" and San Francisco collective of Equipto, Baldhead Rick, Shag Nasty, Curt Sak, Ike Plump and Sellassie who, with production from JDef, under the name S.C.O. (Solidarity Co Op) have collaborated on the "49ers Anthem" song "Faithfully" (Solidarity Records). The video for the song above, which was shot in part at The Ave Bar on Ocean Ave in San Francisco, was made by Tony Rain for Strive Films while the song can be downloaded for free here.

Early this morning I caught up with longtime SF hiip-hop head and "Faithfully Niners Anthem" producer JDef (aka self-described "old school JDEF from KCSF/Bomb Mag./Rymskeme/KNT days!") to ask him how he and the guys got the idea for the song and how to structure it? "Basically, I had had this idea for a while. Sampling the Journey song for a Forty-Niner song just seem to go together perfectly. I wanted to really try and get working on it after the Philly game," he explained. "But it kept getting pushed back because of other things and plus I was getting caught up in the moment of each win. I always had Equipto in mind and wasn't sure who else to put on it, I just knew they had to be a "FORTY-NINER FAITHFUL". So one day, I had a recording session with Nim-One (F.M.D. of FM2O) at my studio and we were working on a song feat. Equipto.

1) DJ Quik The Book Of David (Mad Science Records)

2) Snoop Dogg Doggumentary (Priority) 

3) E-40 Revenue Retrievin: Overtime Shift (EMI)
 
    E-40 Revenue Retrivin': Graveyard Shift (EMI) 

4) Wiz Khalifa Rolling Papers (Atlantic)

5) Blueprint Adventures in Counter-Culture (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

Thanks to Marques at Amoeba Hollywood for this week's Hip-Hop Top Five, which features the brand new release from LA hip-hop legend and friend of Amoeba DJ Quik. His album The Book Of David on Mad Science is the artist's eighth studio album in 20 years. It was released on Tuesday this week (4/19) and the following day (4/20) the long time SoCal rapper/producer had an extremely well attended Amoeba Hollywood instore album signing party. At 7:30pm on Wednesday Marques reported that -- an hour and a half into the signing -- there were still "A lot of people...here waiting to meet Quik and get their CDs signed. He's cool," he said adding, "Looks like we are selling out of it [The Book Of David]." Indeed, and hence the new CD shot to the top of the latest Amoeba hip-hop chart. 

Senselessly gunned down and killed during a random street robbery on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland ten years ago this month, Bay Area graffiti legend Mike "DREAM" Francisco's legacy has grown exponentially in the decade since his tragic murder. And tomorrow, Friday, Feb 5th friends, family, fans, along with those who never even met the late artist but who were somehow touched by his life, his work, and/or his spirit, will congregate en masse for the big annual DREAM DAY.

The sure to be packed event, which takes place at the New Parish on 18th Street near San Pablo in Oakland, will feature graffiti artists, DJs, b-boys and emcees all celebrating, through their respective elements of hip-hop culture, the life and legacy of the man known to many as King DREAM.

As well as graffiti art by DREAM's graffiti collective, the TDK CREW, there will be music provided by a long list, including F.A.M.E., emcee Equipto, DJ Apollo, Shortkut, Fuze, Myke One, Sake One, The Bangerz, and DJ Platurn. Former Amoeba Music Berkeley employee DJ Platurn is among those who actually never met DREAM but whose life was impacted by DREAM's work. "The first time I heard of Mike Dream was through Saafir's Boxcar Sessions. Not only did his art grace the cover but his voice on the record resonated with community and a sense of pride in his craft," Platurn commented earlier today. "I never knew the man personally, being a recent L.A. transplant around that time, but he was always someone that I knew to be a hero and legend in the Bay Area hip-hop game and I'm proud to honor his legacy in any way that I can."