The San Francisco Amoeba’s first in-store performance of 2008 - and what better way to set off the new year than with a live hip hop show?! (LIVE indeed…) It was just before six p.m. as I stood stage-side awaiting San Francisco based crew, 40Love’s set in support of their debut, full-length release: Advantage. This was my second opportunity to see them in action as my first, only a week prior, was to a packed house a the popular Milk Bar where they opened up for a duo of heavy-hitting out-of-towners. 

(Impressive…)

 

Soon after a quick opening set from SF natives, Dregs One and his crew, GMC, 40Love’s DJ Whooligan, local favorite and former Amoeboid… much love, stepped up to the 1’s & 2’s rockin’ a fat gold chain, which immediately etched a wide smile across my face. One by one the 40Love crew was introduced to the stage and the steadily growing crowd applauded the home team. They set it off with a real banger, just as they should, and (emcee) G-Off hits the beat runnin’ with a polished flow that packs a punch and doesn’t let up ‘til the show’s over. In fact… They ALL do. Fellow emcee, Mikos, who also takes on  the task of production for the trio, equally held his own on the mic -- something that so many have tried and failed at in hip hop. (Don’t front!)

Tomorrow, Friday, Jan 18th @ 6PM at Amoeba Music, San Francisco -- the promising new Bay Area hip-hop trio 40Love, who recently dropped their strong & well-rounded debut album Advantage, will be performing as part of Amoeba's Homegrown in-store series.

I recently caught up with emcee G-off from the group, who also works at Amoeba Music on Haight Street in addition to putting in time across town at the A&R department of San Francisco's OM Records, to ask help introduce the uninitiated to 40Love.
 
AMOEBLOG: Can you give a brief history of your group for those who don't know?

G-OFF: 40Love is a hip hop group from San Francisco which features emcee/vocalist Haze, producer & emcee MIkos, and myself, an emcee, G-off. Our first album Advantage features Jern Eye of Lunar Heights, The Genie, plus Malik of Aquarius and HBO Def Jam Poetry. In early 2007 we were signed to a two year deal with DJ Qbert's manager and even had a track with DJ Qbert on the album. However, because we are 19 and new to the industry, they wanted us to hold back on the release of the album to a later date. This resulted in us opting out of our contract to follow the infamous Bay Area tradition of being completely independent artists.