Nick DiBattista was driving on the Roosevelt Boulevard when he first heard Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” on Power 99.

“Where’s my Philly version?” asked a Power 99 DJ after the track finished.

By the time the last few beats of the swaggering NYC anthem -- repping  the lights of the Big Apple and putting the Yankees on a glittering pedestal --  had faded out, DiBattista knew what he had to do. The result was “Ill State of Mind” -- a hip-hop track that speaks to what Philly denizens most value: the city's history, culture and sports teams.

Under the handle of Neeko, DiBattista charmed the internet with his sharp rhymes and undeniable charisma. Song lyrics, including musings about the El, the crack in the Liberty Bell and meeting girls on South Street, has given Philadelphians an anthem to call their own.

The track signs off with an introduction and a dedication.  The 24 -year- old rapper ends with “My name is Neeko. This is for my people.”

But, who, exactly, are his people?

They are the 200,000 (and counting) fans that have streamed the track since it’s debut in late October. They are the sports junkies who have bashed the Yankees in the 1,000+ video comments. They are music producers and fans that want to know when an actual mp3 will drop. They are the college students who have cluttered their Facebook newsfeeds over the past week with a link to Neeko’s track.

Neeko spent a week compiling what he felt were significant Philadelphia landmarks and icons, some compelling, others more pedestrian. In between mentions of Love Park and the Roots, he added rhymes about waiting in line at Tony Lukes and cruising down City Line Avenue.

“I outlined what I wanted to touch on and just went from there,” says Neeko, whose main goal was to craft lyrics that city residents would recognize.  “It was like a puzzle of the city, I just dropped lines into place.”

Needing a female voice for the song’s chorus, he was eventually introduced to Deana Marie through a mutual friend. Deana Capriotti, 36, had no particular musical background, but had a suitably Alicia Keys-like voice. At first, she struggled trying to replace the word ‘New York’ with ‘Philly.’ It came out sounding like ‘fillet’. Finally, she just busted out “Phillllaaaayyyy” from her gut. The hook was settled.

The duo spent a full day recording the track in Neeko’s bedroom in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia on his iMac. “I used a really cheap mic, program, and equipment, he says.” “But I guess that’s really all you need. “

When the track was finished, he contacted Power 99, assuming the station would jump at the chance to play it. Instead, they passed. Disappointed but unbowed, he posted the track to Facebook. Within minutes, his friends were messaging him with kudos, and telling him to post “Ill State of Mind” on YouTube.

On a whim, he created the video sporting a white tee and grey hoodie in a pop art inspired 4-squared frame, which lead to significant viral success, a city wide outpouring of praise, and, yes, the airplay Neeko had hoped for from the get go.

As of today, “Ill State of Mind” is number one on Wired 96.5’s daily listener- driven countdowns. Staggering YouTube views and top countdown slots came as a shock to Neeko who was flabbergasted with the attention.

“When I first posted it, I saw 8 people looked at it and I was like ‘cool’. Next it was 300 after the first day and at 4,000 by the second. I mean I was hopeful but I had NO idea all this would happen,” he says.

A 2005 graduate of The Philadelphia Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, DiBattista's first stab at the working world was at Joseph’s Garden Grill in Langhorne, Pa. Miserable in the kitchen, he quit.

“At first it was a foolish decision but I feel like I’m living now instead of just surviving,” he says.

Things could get even better: Rumors are spreading about the rapper paying a visit to Citizen’s Bank Park to share “Ill State of Mind” with Phillies fans during the World Series.

His roommate and best friend, Dave DeLisi, started a Facebook group called “Let’s get for Neeko and Deana Marie to perform at Game 3." Within 72 hours 5,000+ people joined in social networking agreement that “Ill State of Mind” should be performed at CBP on Saturday night.

Before Game 2, in Yankees Stadium, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys are slated to perform “Empire Sate of Mind." What better person than Neeko to welcome the Broad Street Bullies back to their home field at game three?

But there remains one significant problem: While Neeko runs up the score with original lyrics and a fresh perspective, the hook and the track are lifted wholesale from Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind." Considerable legalities stand between the obvious choice for a World Series fight song.

“Let’s take a shot at this,” maintains DeLisi, a 25-year-old Drexel graduate with a civil engineering degree who believes his efforts are worthwhile.

Born and raised in the Northeast, DeLisi grew up with Neeko. The two are urban art connoisseurs and together they own Ambishis -- an up and coming T-shirt production company that hand draws Philly oriented designs that reflect the young men’s beliefs in following one’s dreams, being one’s self and practicing raw ambition.

“Time is on our side right now, he says. This whole process has been out of control. “

“It’s unreal," DeLisi says. He has already gone on record that the success of “Ill State of Mind” was the best thing to ever happened to him. "Some random DJ made a comment that didn’t mean anything," he continues. "Then Neeko puts one song on the Internet. What are the chances?”