Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and rapper. Known for his participation in many musical projects, most with a political and social emphasis, including

the Beatnigs The Beatnigs were a San Francisco-based band active between 1986 and 1990, influenced by industrial music, hip hop and hardcore punk. Biography Michael Franti and Rono Tse met each other clubbing in San Francisco. In 1986, Franti and Tse for ...

and

the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy were an American hip-hop musical ensemble, active during the early 1990s. The band was formed in 1990 by Michael Franti (vocals, production, misc. instruments) and Rono Tse (drums, percussion, programming), wh ...

. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band which blends

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

with a variety of other styles including

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of

peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

and

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

issues; he is especially an advocate for peace in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Early life

Michael Franti was born in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. His mother, Mary Lofy, had Irish,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, and Belgian ancestry; his father, Thomas Hopkins, was of

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

and Native American descent. He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a

Finnish American Finnish Americans (, ) comprise Americans with ancestral roots in Finland, or Finnish people who immigrated to and reside in the United States. The Finnish-American population is around 650,000. Many Finnish people historically immigrated to ...

couple in Oakland, who at the time had three biological children and one adopted African American son.
Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine is the largest veterinary school in the United States. Established in 1948, the school is the primary health resource for California's animal populations. In 2020, the school was ag ...

and died in 2003. Franti's four adoptive siblings are Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew. Michael also has four half-siblings, Thea, Thomas, Charles, and Arthur Hopkins. Franti went to grade 9 at Highland Junior High School in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Alberta. Then he attended Davis Senior High School and

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...

on a full basketball scholarship, where during the 1985–1986 season, he averaged 2.4 pts per game. During his time at school there he met a priest who taught him how to write stories, and soon he was writing poetry. He purchased a bass guitar at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by hip hop, punk, and reggae which was being played on the campus radio station, KUSF.

Career

The Beatnigs (1986–1990)

Franti began his music career in 1986 as part of the industrial

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

band

. While attending the

and living above KUSF he developed a fascination with music and decided to start a band. The Beatnigs included dancer and percussionist Rono Tse; the band released a self-titled LP and an EP ''Television'' on

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 by Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra and guitarist East Bay Ray in San Francisco, California, with the intention to release the Dead Kennedys' self-produced single " C ...

records. The records received some critical acclaim but little fame beyond the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

. The 1988 LP release ''

The Beatnigs The Beatnigs were a San Francisco-based band active between 1986 and 1990, influenced by industrial music, hip hop and hardcore punk. Biography Michael Franti and Rono Tse met each other clubbing in San Francisco. In 1986, Franti and Tse for ...

'' was recorded at Dancin' Dog Studio in Emeryville and distributed by

. In addition to Michael Franti and Ron Tse, the band included Henry Flood on percussion, Andre Flores on keyboards, and Kevin Carnes on vocals. All of the band members made multiple instrumental contributions, including industrial percussion.

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy (1991–93)

His next project,

, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist

Charlie Hunter Charlie Hunter (born May 23, 1967) is an American guitarist, composer, producer and bandleader. First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter plays custom-made seven- and eight-string guitars on which he simultaneously plays bass line ...

, as well as

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

ians

Mark Pistel Consolidated is an American radical activist music group, formed in 1988 and best known in the early 1990s as an alternative dance/ industrial music band. Between 1989 and 1994, their instrumental style evolved from industrial, to hip-hop, to ha ...

( Consolidated) and

Jack Dangers Jack Dangers (born John Stephen Corrigan, 11 January 1965) is an English electronic musician, DJ, producer, and remixer best known for his work as the primary member of Meat Beat Manifesto. He lives in San Francisco. Career Prior to founding ...

(

Meat Beat Manifesto Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened as Meat Beat, Manifesto or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens that was formed in 1987 in Swindon, United Kingdom. The band, fronted by Dangers (the only ...

). The Disposable Heroes wrote politically charged lyrics that railed against the injustices of the world, set to a fusion of industrial music and hip hop. Their first album, '' Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury'' (on

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

), won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2 to open for their

Zoo TV Tour The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged primarily to support their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'' and later their 1993 album ''Zooropa'', the tour visited ...

. The album's lyrics dealt with a range of issues, including the US involvement in the

Gulf war , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, the oil industry, homophobic violence, immigration, Franti's own cultural background and adoption, and more personal politics. The single "Television, The Drug of The Nation" (previously recorded by Franti's former project,

) gained airplay on college and

alternative radio Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...

stations for its critique of mainstream television, which as the title implies, blames the media for a political numbing of ordinary people, explicit in the lyrics: "T.V., it satellite links, our United States of unconsciousness, apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive". The Disposable Heroes recorded music accompanying novelist

William Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist. He is widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and ...

' readings for an album entitled '' Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales''. The distinctive work of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy has been analyzed in various academic papers, including by author Leslie Haywood and editor Jeniffer Drake in the book ''Third Wave Agenda, Being Feminist and Doing Feminism''. The analysis involved the role of masculinity in the misogynist point of view which dominates popular music e.g. in rap music. The authors assert that Franti's lyrics in treating women fairly in relationships is an exception. According to the ''

Encyclopedia of Popular Music ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music'', which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.''The Times'', ''The Kno ...

'', Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy is an innovative contemporary hip hop crew; a mixture of articulate manifesto rap which broke down beyond the black and white rhetoric, especially in the song "Language of Violence", one of the first raps to speak about homophobia.

Michael Franti and Spearhead (1994–present)

In 1994, Franti dissolved the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, including mainstay Carl Young. Their first release, ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

'', in September 1994, was a departure from the politically charged rap of the Disposable Heroes and drew more from funk and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

. The album was produced by Franti and Joe Nicolo. The song "Positive", also from the album ''Home'', appeared on the '' Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool'' compilation album by the

Red Hot Organization ''Red Hot Organization'' (RHO) is a non-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization with goals to promote diversity through equal access to healthcare through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors ...

. In 1998, Spearhead recorded "I Got Plenty 'o Nuthin" with

Ernest Ranglin Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels, including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pl ...

for the

's compilation album ''

Red Hot + Rhapsody Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

''. Their follow-up album, ''

Chocolate Supa Highway ''Chocolate Supa Highway'' is the second studio album by Spearhead. Track listing Singles * "U Can't Sing R Song" * "Why Oh Why" * "Keep Me Lifted" Personnel * Michael Franti: vocalist, producer * Trinna Simmons: vocalist * Carl Youn ...

'' was released in March 1997, with several changes in band members between releases. This album featured a return to hip hop elements and a pronounced reggae influence and included guest appearances by notables like

Stephen Marley Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (born April 20, 1972) is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother Damian ...

and

Joan Osborne Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best kn ...

. After releasing the two albums, the band split with Capitol Records (reportedly prompted by the label's repeated urging to perform with other artists like

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

). The band instead decided to create its own record label, Boo Boo Wax. Since Capitol Records owned the rights to the name "Spearhead", subsequent albums were all released as "Michael Franti & Spearhead." His song "Sometimes" was included on the soundtrack to the 1999 film ''

Mystery Men ''Mystery Men'' is a 1999 American superhero comedy film directed by Kinka Usher (in his feature-length directorial debut), written by Neil Cuthbert, loosely based on Bob Burden's '' Flaming Carrot Comics'', starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, ...

'', as well as the soundtrack to the 2006 film '' Last Holiday''. Also, under the "Spearhead" name, their cover version of The Police's 1979 No. 32 hit, "Roxanne", was featured on the soundtrack to the 1997 film ''

Good Burger ''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...

''. Michael Franti & Spearhead released '' Stay Human'' in 2000 under their own label Boo Boo Wax in alignment with

indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties afforded by in ...

label

Six Degrees Records Six Degrees Records is an independent record label noted for its catalog of recordings from international musicians and vocalists. History In 1996, former Windham Hill employees Pat Berry and Bob Duskis founded Six Degrees Records with the i ...

. The album's central theme was the unjust nature of the death penalty and other major themes included mass media

monopolization In United States antitrust law, monopolization is illegal monopoly behavior. The main categories of prohibited behavior include exclusive dealing, price discrimination, refusing to supply an essential facility, product tying and predatory prici ...

, the prison-industrial complex and corporate

globalization Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...

. In an interview, Franti talked about the message of ''Stay Human'': "Half the record is songs about what's happening in the world right now, and the other half is about how we cope with it as people who are concerned about what's going on", he said. "This specter of war, intimidation, this nation vs. the rest of the world, it wears us out. Half the record is a healthy dose of venting anger about that, and the other half is about how do we hold on to our spirituality, our community and our connectedness to each other."
/ref> In 2001, Franti was featured on Lamb (electronic band), Lamb's album What Sound, providing backing vocals on the track "I Cry". Also in 2001, Michael Franti & Spearhead released the song "Oh My God", arguably one of Michael Franti & Spearhead's most precise resistance songs. It was analyzed in Catherine Chaput's book Entertaining Fear: Rhetoric and the Political Economy of Social Control. Chaput uses the lyrics of "Oh My God" to show how it is counter-productive to understand politics as distinct from economics and culture. The lyrics make connections across science, popular culture and politics. ''Everyone Deserves Music'' was released in 2003. Franti composed many of the songs from his guitar and, like fellow 21st-century cultural globalists

Manu Chao Manu Chao (; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French language, French, Spanish language, Spanish, English language, English, Italian language, Italian, Arabic, Catalan language ...

and

Ozomatli Ozomatli is an American rock band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and incorporating a wide array of musical styles – including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, hip hop, and others. The group ...

, continues to synthesize his eclectic influences. In a departure from the industrial sounds of the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes, and the minimalism of early Spearhead, Franti's affirming lyrics are now set to swelling rock chords, while keeping a world-wise groove nodding towards reggae,

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

, bossa nova,

Afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...

, and funk. Anthems like the title track "Everyone Deserves Music", "Yes I Will" and " Bomb The World" are constructed with a nod to the 1980s rock of

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

and U2, as well as to classic soul from

Stax Stax can refer to: * StAX, (Computer Programming) Streaming API for reading and writing XML in Java * Stax Ltd, a Japanese brand of electrostatic headphones * Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, ...

and

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

. The song "We Don't Stop" (featuring Gift of Gab from

Blackalicious Blackalicious was an American hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California, made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel. They are noted for Gift of Gab's often tongue-twisting, multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's soulful pr ...

and Spearhead's rapper/

beatbox Beatboxing (also, and sometimes, called beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (usually a Roland TR-808, TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

(Grace Jones, Rolling Stones, Black Uhuru, No Doubt). Also in 2003, Franti released a mostly acoustic album, ''Songs from the Front Porch'', containing rearranged versions of older songs from ''Chocolate Supa Highway'', ''Stay Human,'' and ''Everyone Deserves Music'' as well as a couple of new tracks. Michael-Franti

On July 25, 2006, Michael Franti & Spearhead released '' Yell Fire!'', inspired by Franti's trip to Israel, the

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

, the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. In an effort to share his experiences from his trip and to explore the human cost of war, Franti produced a movie entitled ''I Know I'm Not Alone'', using the songs from his album ''Yell Fire!'' as a soundtrack. "One Step Closer To You" from ''Yell Fire!'' features

Pink Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...

on backing vocals. The whole album is available for listening in his website. Franti and Spearhead have gained a worldwide audience through touring and appearances in alternative media like '' Mother Jones'' magazine and ''

Democracy Now! ''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long TV, radio, and Internet news program based in Manhattan and hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live ...

''. Franti continues to tour in addition to producing the annual Power to the Peaceful festival each year since 1998. The festival originated as a way of supporting

Mumia Abu-Jamal Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook; April 24, 1954) is an American political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia police officer C ...

, who has been convicted of murdering a policeman but is considered by some on the Left to be a political prisoner. Michael Franti continues to gain influence in both popular music and social movements largely through extensive touring and word of mouth fan support. Lyrics from his song " Bomb The World", written in the dark aftermath of

September 11 Events Pre-1600 * 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hu ...

such as "You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace" have found their way onto protest signs and

t-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt, or tee for short) is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shir ...

s all over the world from Los Angeles to Berlin, San Francisco to

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, at

demonstrations Demonstration may refer to: * Demonstration (acting), part of the Brechtian approach to acting * Demonstration (military), an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought * Protest, a public act of objection, disapproval or d ...

for peace large and small. The song "Light Up Ya Lighter" by Michael Franti & Spearhead was included on the soundtrack to '' Body of War'', an award-winning documentary about

Tomas Young Tomas Young (November 30, 1979 – November 10, 2014) was an American military veteran of the Iraq War. In 2004, he was wounded and paralyzed by a bullet to the spine five days after he reached Iraq. One of the first veterans to come out publicly ...

, a paralyzed

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

veteran. Songs from ''Yell Fire'' and ''All Rebel Rockers'' are on the soundtrack to ''The Edge of Never'', a documentary about extreme skiers mentoring 15-year-old Kye Peterson in his quest to ski the route in Chamonix, France that killed his father, Trevor Peterson, nine years earlier. The album '' All Rebel Rockers'' was released on September 9, 2008, and was largely recorded in Jamaica at the Anchor studio in St Andrew. The band worked with ubiquitous rhythm team

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

and featured multi-talented vocalist

Cherine Anderson Cherine Tanya Anderson (born 25 September 1984, Rockfort, East Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican dancehall/reggae vocalist and actress. Biography Anderson's acting career began in the film '' Dancehall Queen'' (1997), as Marcia's pressured, t ...

on the set which entered the Billboard 200 pop chart in September at number 38. The single 'Say Hey (I Love You)' also reached Number 18 on the US Hot 100, providing Franti with his first US Top 20 single. Michael Franti was featured on Aux.tv's show Volume where he spoke about U.S. politics and his efforts to make the world a better place. Franti played three different events to commemorate President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's inauguration: The Green Ball, The Peace Ball, and the

Rock the Vote Rock the Vote is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit organization in the United States. Through registering new young voters, the group aims to "channel the energy among young people around racial, economic, and health justice into one of the mo ...

Party. Franti announced in November 2009 that he would be joining musician

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

on the Battle Studies Tour in spring 2010. As part of the band's commitment to environmentalism, Michael Franti and Spearhead avoid the use of water bottles on national tours and run their tour bus on

biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...

.
Franti announced the release of '' The Sound of Sunshine (Michael Franti & Spearhead album), The Sound of Sunshine'' on his official website in July 2010. It features 12 tracks including two versions of the title track, the new hit single, "Shake It", and staples of his recent live performances including "Hey Hey Hey", "Anytime You Need Me", "The Thing That Helps Me Get Through", and the anthemic arena-rock ballad "I'll Be Waiting". The album was originally set to be released on August 24, but was pushed back to September 21 to give the album "more runway." Franti started the recording process for ''The Sound of Sunshine'' in Jamaica but then continued to mix tracks and record in Bali before choosing to bring a portable studio on the road. He continued to record on the road and then test his ideas in front of live audiences to see if they liked it before going back and revamping it the next day. He has since been quoted as saying 90% of the album ended up being recorded on his laptop. In 2012, he joined the 11th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. In 2013, Franti released ''

All People ''All People'' is an album by the American band Michael Franti & Spearhead, released in 2013 through Boo Boo Wax and Capitol Records. The first single was "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)". Franti supported the album with North American and Australia ...

''. The single, "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)", was released on July 30, 2013, and was featured on ''

The Sims 4 ''The Sims 4'' is a social simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released on September 2, 2014 for Windows, and is the fourth main installment in ''The Sims'' series, following ''The Sims 3'' (2009 ...

'' and ''

Rayman Legends ''Rayman Legends'' is a 2013 platform game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft. It is the fifth main title in the ''Rayman'' series and the direct sequel to the 2011 game ''Rayman Origins''. The game was released for Micros ...

'' game trailers. He released the album ''SoulRocker'' in 2016. All the songs began on the acoustic guitar. In March 2018, Franti announced a new album, ''Stay Human, Vol. II'', would be released in June 2018 and also stands as the soundtrack to his new documentary. In July Franti, via Instagram, announced the album was delayed until Fall 2018. ''Stay Human, Vol. II'' was released on January 25, 2019, and on October 12 the first single was released, "Just to Say I Love you". In 2020, Franti released the album "Work Hard and Be Nice." His single "Good Day for a Good Day" from his 2022 album "Follow Your Heart" was a top 25 AAA hit. He did the music for the Woody Harrelson film ''

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...

''.

Politics

Franti is also an advocate for peace in the Middle East. His 2005 film ''I Know I'm Not Alone'' features footage of

, the

Palestinian territories The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine ...

, and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Franti decided to embark on a three-week journey with friends to view the human cost of war in the Middle East first-hand. Franti said, "This film came out of my frustration with watching the nightly news and hearing generals, politicians, and pundits explaining the political and economic cost of the war in the Middle East, without ever mentioning the human cost. I wanted to hear about the war by the people affected by it most: doctors, nurses, poets, artists, soldiers, and my personal favorite, musicians." The film aims to speak to multiple generations and to give a better understanding of the people who still live in war-torn countries. He did not embark on the trip for the film with any special government groups or organizations. "When I first had the idea for this journey, I had no idea how to get to Iraq and almost no idea how to make a film. After discovering that all you need to get into Iraq is a plane ticket, I prayed that movie making would be that simple..." he said. After his trip to the Middle East, Franti argued that it was poverty more than religion that created tensions in the Gaza region. "The poverty was so severe," said Franti. "This really helped me to understand the frustration the Palestinian youth have. Ultimately, my belief is that it is poverty more than religion that creates tensions and frustrations. If you are struggling to feed your family, living on less than US$2 (Dh7.34) a day, as most Gaza residents are, and can see that past the checkpoint in Israel people live like in Los Angeles, then that really is going to cause mounting tensions." In 2001, Franti was awarded the Domestic Human Rights Award by

Global Exchange Global Exchange was founded in 1988 and is an advocacy group, human rights organization, and a 501(c)(3) organization, based in San Francisco, California, United States. The group defines its mission as, "to promote human rights and social, econom ...

, an international NGO based in San Francisco, for his work to end war. In 2006, he was invited by Australian Labour MP

Jenny Macklin Jennifer Louise Macklin (born 29 December 1953) is an Australian former politician. She was elected to federal parliament at the 1996 federal election and served as the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2001 to 2006, und ...

to show the film at Australia's

Parliament House Parliament House may refer to: Meeting places of parliament Australia * Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia * Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia * Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland * P ...

in Canberra. Music and politics have always been a part of Franti's art, as seen early in his career with the song "Music and Politics", released during the "Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy" phase. The song consists of Franti reciting

with a soft electric guitar riffing in the background. Although Franti's point of view about the role of music in politics and the style of music he uses to express himself have changed, he still writes about politics and continues to work as an activist towards social change. The album ''All Rebel Rockers'' from 2008 (US #39) already with Spearhead was also a vehicle to express Franti's political views through music. According to Franti, the album was inspired by contemporary issues like climate change, the price of gas going up and down, the stock market and the auto industry, and the Obama presidency. His trip to the Middle East and his other world travel have helped shape his global political perspective. Franti works with the charitable cause Ubuntu Education Fund, has promoted

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

diets, has promoted being

barefoot Being barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead ...

, and followed the Occupy Wall Street movement during one of Michael Franti and Spearhead's tours.

Do It for the Love

Franti's wish-granting nonprofit organization, Do It for the Love, is a project he founded in 2013 with his wife Sara Agah Franti, with a mission to bring individuals with life-threatening illnesses and trauma, children with severe challenges, and wounded veterans to live concerts in the goal to inspire joy through the healing power of music. His foundation has bridged connections between fans of all ages with their musical heroes, with the participation of notable artists such as

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

JoJo Siwa Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa ( ; born May 19, 2003) is an American singer, dancer, actress, and media personality. From 2015 to 2016, she appeared as a dancer on two seasons of the reality television show '' Dance Moms'' alongside her mother, Jess ...

Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements wit ...

, and Franti himself.

Soulshine Bali

Franti owns a yoga resort hotel in the southern part of Ubud, Bali, called Soulshine. It is considered "Michael Franti's oasis of yoga, soul, and rock n' roll." His resort was originally named ''Stay Human Yoga Retreat Center'' when it first opened in 2011, a joint venture between Franti and Carla Swanson. In a 2020 interview, Franti explained what drew him to Bali, Indonesia specifically sharing, "the first time I came to Bali I fell in love with the Balinese culture. People here are ''so'' incredible. That was in 2007. Bali is an island of creative geniuses, and what I mean by that is everybody, whether you're a banker, shop owner or something like that, everyone does some form of art...they all really work together and they're all ''super-creative'' and just ''very'' kind people. I fell in love with the culture. It's a beautiful tropical Island here, so that's great." He explained the organic nature of this venture, "I thought it would be a good place to buy a little piece of land and, hopefully, build a little vacation home. So, we built five rooms with a yoga studio on top and it was like, 'If you build it, they will come.' Sure enough, we started getting teachers bringing in groups of students here. Over the years we kept putting the money back into building more rooms and we are up to 32 rooms now." Soulshine has hosted many retreats led by people such as Trevor Hall and FullyRaw Kristina, serving organically grown food from their own farms. In 2020, the yoga resort additionally expanded into a day club. In June 2020, Franti began hosting his "Stay at Home Concert World Tour" within his own yoga resort, taking part of the "virtual concert revolution" as a response to the COVID-19 Health Pandemic.

Personal life

Franti has four children. He is married to emergency room nurse and jewelry designer Sara Agah. He was previously married to Tara Franti-Rye from 1998 until 2004; she is the mother of Ade. Inspired by one of his children, Franti became a

. In 2000, Michael decided not to wear any shoes, initially for three days. Since then, he has chosen to go barefoot except for occasionally wearing

flip-flops Flip-flops are a type of light sandal-like shoe, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around ...

as required to board an airplane or to be served in a restaurant. He prefers bare feet. In 2014, Michael's second eldest, Ade, was diagnosed with a kidney disease called

focal segmental glomerulosclerosis Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a histopathologic finding of scarring (sclerosis) of glomeruli and damage to renal podocytes. This process damages the filtration function of the kidney, resulting in protein presence in the urine du ...

(FSGS). The disease has left Ade with just 50% function in his kidneys. Michael said, "My son being diagnosed was the worst news I ever got in my whole life... we didn't know if he could graduate from high school or what kind of life he was going to have. We don't know where it's going to go next, but he inspires me everyday." In September 2018, Franti's third child, was born. It was his first child with Agah. Baby number two was born on May 15, 2025.

Discography

Solo

* 2000: ''Live at the Baobab'' * 2002 ''Passion'' * 2003: ''Songs from the Front Porch''

Spearhead

Studio albums

Notes

Singles

* 1994: "Of Course You Can" UK No. 74 * 1994: "People in tha Middle" AUS No. 69, UK No. 49 * 1995: "Hole in the Bucket" AUS No. 87, UK No. 55 * 1995: "Positive" * 1997: "U Can't Sing R Song" * 1997: "Why Oh Why" UK No. 45 * 1997: "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)" (feat. Stephen Marley) (promo-only) * 1997: "Keep Me Lifted" * 2001: "Rock the Nation" * 2001: "Sometimes" * 2002: "Soulshine" (Australia-only EP) * 2003: "Bomb the World" AUS No. 70 * 2003: "Everyone Deserves Music" AUS No. 39 * 2006: "I Know I'm Not Alone" #27 US AAA * 2006: "Light up Ya Lighter" * 2008: "Obama Song" (feat. SoliLaquists of Sound, Cherine Anderson & Anthony B) (Digital Only) * 2008: " Say Hey (I Love You)" No. 18 US #14 US AAA * 2009: "Hey World" #21 US AAA * 2010: "Shake It" (feat. Lady Saw) * 2010: " The Sound of Sunshine" (feat. Jovanotti, for Italy only) #1 US AAA * 2010: "Hey Hey Hey" #5 US AAA * 2011: "I'll Be Waiting" #22 US AAA * 2013: "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)" #5 US AAA * 2013: "Life is Better With You" #13 US AAA * 2013: "11 59" (feat. Sonna Rele) * 2014: "Same As It Ever Was (Start Today)" * 2015: "Once A Day" (feat. Sonna Rele) #17 US AAA * 2018: "The Flower" (feat. Victoria Canal) * 2020: "I Got You" #1 US AAA * 2020: "Work Hard and Be Nice" #40 US AAA * 2021: "Good Day for a Good Day" #24 US AAA * 2025: "Break Up With Everything" #32 US AAA

Live albums and compilations

* 1994: ''Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool'' * 1998: ''Red Hot + Rhapsody'' * 1998: '' Hempilation, Vol. 2: Free the Weed'' * 2005: ''Weeds (Music from the Original TV Series)'' * 2005: ''Live in Sydney'' * 2005: ''Love Kamikaze (Singles and Remixes)'' * 2005: ''Live: Alaska'' * 2005: ''Power to the Peaceful Festival 2005 (CD & DVD)'' * 2006: '' Snakes on a Plane: The Album'' * 2007: ''Yell Fire! Live'' * 2008: ''CLIF GreenNotes Protect the Places We Play'' * 2008: '' The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter -- Five Years of Music from The Wire''

Collaborations

* 1992: '' Infinity within (album)'' (

Deee-Lite Deee-Lite was an American House music, house and Dance music, dance music group formed in New York City. The group's Single (music), single "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, ''World Clique'' (19 ...

, "Fuddy Duddy Judge" feat. Michael Franti) * 1994: ''Echomania'' (

Dub Syndicate Dub Syndicate is a British dub band, formed by Adrian Sherwood, which became a showcase for Adrian Sherwood's collaboration with Lincoln "Style" Scott, former drummer with the Roots Radics, Suns of Arqa and Creation Rebel. Dub Syndicate init ...

, "No No" feat. Michael Franti) * 1995: '' Blue in the Face (Movie Soundtrack)'' ("To My Ba-Bay!" w/ Spearhead &

Zap Mama Zap Mama is a Belgian singer-songwriter, performer, composer, lyricist, activist, video artist and ethno-vocal therapist born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raised in Belgium. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music ...

) * 1997: ''Seven'', "Poetry Man" (with

and

King Britt King Britt (born 1968) is an American record producer, composer, performer, educator, and DJ and record producer from Philadelphia. Britt is known for his eclectic mix of electronic, house, disco, techno, rave, experimental music, and other gen ...

) and "Baba Hooker" (with

) * 1997: ''Black Enough?'' (

Steel Pulse Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ro ...

feat. Michael Franti of Spearhead) * 1999: ''Dal Basso'' (

Jovanotti Lorenzo Cherubini (; born 27 September 1966), known professionally as Jovanotti (), is an Italian singer-songwriter, rapper, and disc jockey. The name Jovanotti derives from ''giovanotti'', the plural form of the Italian word ''giovanotto'' (" ...

feat. Michael Franti) * 2001: ''Stay Human'', "Listener Supported" (with

) *: ''Steady Pull'' (Jonatha Brooke feat. Michael Franti) * 2002: '' 1 Giant Leap'' ( Jamie Catto & Duncan Bridgeman, "Passion" feat. Michael Franti) * 2003: ''The World Around'' (Buscemi feat. Michael Franti) *: ''Little Drummer Boy (Blind Boys Of Alabama feat. Michael Franti) *: ''There's Enough For All Of Us'' (Hardage feat. Michael Franti) *: ''My Love'' (E-Life feat. Michael Franti) * 2005: '' Look at All the Love We Found: A Tribute To Sublime'' ("What I Got" w/ Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Gift of Gab) * 2006: ''What's This?'' (Franti,

Gabriel Ríos Gabriel Ríos (born August 25, 1978 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican singer songwriter. Biography Gabriel was born in Puerto Rico, to Puerto Rican parents, and was raised on the island until the age of 17. He then relocated to the cit ...

and Flip Kowlier) * 2007: ''Supermoon'', "Hey Brotha" (with

) * 2008: ''Mani libere 2008'' (

feat. Michael Franti) *: ''The End'' (Sugarush Beat Company feat. Michael Franti) * 2009: ''All Rebel Rockers'', "High Low" (with

) * 2010: ''El Vecindario'', "Monkey Man" (with Macaco) * 2011: ''Battiti di ali di farfalla'' (with Lorenzo

Cherubini) * 2011: ''The Sound of Sunshine'' (with Lorenzo

Cherubini) *: "P.O.W." (With Honest Bob)(From the album The Game) *: "I Love The Future + Praize Creation Dub + Dignity Of Struggle" (With The Fire This Time)(From the album Still Dancing On John Waynes Head) * 2014: ''È Tardi'' (with

Caparezza Michele Salvemini (born 9 October 1973), better known by his stage name Caparezza, (sometimes written CapaRezza) is an Italian rapper. Born in Molfetta, in the southern region of Apulia, Caparezza debuted in 1997 at the Sanremo Festival under t ...

) * 2014: ''I Believe'' (with SOJA and Nahko Bear)

The Beatnigs

* 1988: ''

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

* 1992: '' Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury'' * 1993: '' Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales'' (with

William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist. He is widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major Postmodern literature, postmodern author who influen ...

)

Appearances in media

Franti's music was featured twice on HBO's urban drama ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

''. "Oh My God" and "Rock The Nation", both from the album ''Stay Human'', were used in two different episodes during the series' first season. Franti's song "Everybody Ona Move" was featured in the pilot episode of '' Privileged'' on

the CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

in 2008 and also in a 2009

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...

commercial. "Yell Fire" was used to promote the FX channel series '' Rescue Me'' and was also used in the closing credits of the pilot episode of ''Virtuality'' on

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

. Showtime's ''

Weeds A weed is an unwanted plant of any species. Weed or weeds may also refer to: Places * Weed, Arkansas, an unincorporated community in the United States * Weed, California, a city in the United States * Weed, Kentucky, an unincorporated communit ...

'' featured Franti's song "Ganja Babe" in its first season, his interpretation of the Weeds theme song "

Little Boxes "Little Boxes" is a song written and composed by Malvina Reynolds in 1962. The song was first released by her friend, Pete Seeger, in 1963, and became his only charting single in January 1964. The song is a social satire about the developm ...

" in Season 3, and "Say Hey" during a

flash mob A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people that assembles suddenly in a public place, performs for a brief time, then quickly disperses, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and/or artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organize ...

scene in the premiere episode of Season 5.

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

centerfielder

Shane Victorino Shane Patrick Victorino (born November 30, 1980), nicknamed "the Flyin' Hawaiian", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodge ...

uses the song "Light up Ya Lighter" as his batter walk-up music. "Say Hey (I Love You)" was used on the third episode of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's series ''

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. In the social and le ...

'', as well as in the opening scene of the 2010 film ''

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

''. The same song was also used in 2010 in a commercial for Corona Light beer. The song is also featured on the soundtrack of

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...

game, '' 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa''. He appeared as himself in the 2010 music documentary '' Sounds Like a Revolution''. "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)" was featured on the "Arrival" official trailer for ''

'' during Gamescom 2013 at the

Cologne Trade Fair Koelnmesse GmbH (''Cologne Trade Fair'') is an international trade fair and exhibition center located in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With around 80 trade fairs and over 2,000 conferences annually, Koelnmesse is one of the country's ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, Germany on August 20, 2013. It was also featured in the launch trailer for ''

'' and the final trailer for ''

Coco Coco or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Coco'' (2009 film), a French comedy film * ''Coco'' (2017 film), an American animated fantasy film * '' Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle'' (), a 2020 Japanese anime film ...

''. Franti has collaborated with Slacker Radio, picking the tunes and providing commentaries, to create a radio station playing his favorite artists. Franti premiered his own documentary ''Stay Human'' on April 27, 2018, at the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival. Written on his website about the film, Franti states, "my new film Stay Human takes us on a journey through music and stories of some of the most inspiring individuals on the planet. Amazing people that I've met on my travels around the globe, who have chosen to overcome cynicism with optimism, hope, tenacity, music, and love – and remind us all what it means to STAY HUMAN." A2 Milk Co used an arrangement of "Life is Better with You" as the soundtrack to its US national TV ad campaign in October 2019. The advertisement was shown on ABC, NBC, Bravo, Food Network and HGTV networks during major shows.

References

External links

*
Michael Franti Interview at TheWaster.com

Michael Franti and Spearhead
@ the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

(live music archive) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Franti, Michael 1966 births American adoptees American anti-war activists American people of Belgian descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent Living people People from Davis, California Musicians from Oakland, California Rappers from California Reggae fusion artists San Francisco Dons men's basketball players Capitol Records artists Davis Senior High School (California) alumni Activists from California 21st-century American rappers Six Degrees Records artists Alternative Tentacles artists Anti- (record label) artists Island Records artists Thirty Tigers artists