Michael Franti
Encyclopedia
Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer
. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop
with a variety of other styles including funk
, reggae
, jazz
, folk
, and rock
. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace
and social justice
issues.
to an Irish
-German-French
mother and an African-American and Native American
father. However, his mother made an adoption plan for him because she was afraid her family would not accept him. He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a Finnish-American
couple in Oakland, who had three biological children and two adopted African American sons. Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and died in 2003. Michael's four siblings are named Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew. Michael attended Davis Senior High School
and graduated from the University of San Francisco
. During his time at school there he met a priest who taught him how to tell a story on paper, and soon he was writing poetry. He purchased a bass at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by Hip Hop, Punk, and Reggae that was being played on the campus radio station. He has two sons: Ade with his wife Tara Franti-Rye, and Cappy from a previous relationship. At the fourth annual Mountain Jam Festival
, he brought Cappy on stage to sing a song.
punk
band The Beatnigs
. While attending the University of San Francisco 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
records. The records received some critical acclaim but little fame beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.
The 1988 LP release The Beatnigs was recorded at Dancin' Dog Studio in Emeryville and distributed by Alternative Tentacles. In addition to Michael Franti and Ron Tse, the band included Henry Flood on percussion, Andre Flores on keyboards, and Kevin on vocals. All of the band members made multiple instrumental contributions, including industrial percussion.
, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist
Charlie Hunter
, and electronic music
ians Mark Pistel
(Consolidated
) and Jack Dangers
(Meat Beat Manifesto
). The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy 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
), won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2
to open for their Zoo TV Tour
.
Franti and the Disposable Heroes put together another record of music accompanying novelist William Burroughs' readings for an album entitled Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. This album diverged greatly from the style of the band's previous work, as they were largely providing musical background and accompaniment to Burroughs' spoken readings from several of his books.
Home
, in September 1994, was a departure from the politically charged rap of the Disposable Heroes and drew more from funk and soul music
. The song "Positive", also from the album Home, appeared on the Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool compilation album by the Red Hot Organization
. In 1998, Spearhead recorded "I Got Plenty 'o Nuthin" with Ernest Ranglin
for the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody.
Their follow up album Chocolate Supa Highway
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
and Joan Osborne
.
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
). 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
, 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
, the full-length feature film starring Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell based on their characters from the popular 'Good Burger' sketch featured on the Nickelodeon series All That
.
Michael Franti & Spearhead released Stay Human
in 2000 under their own label Boo Boo Wax in alignment with indie music
label Six Degrees Records
. The album's central theme was the unjust nature of the death penalty
and other major themes included mass media
monopolization
, the prison-industrial complex
and corporate globalization
.
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." Franti left Six Degrees due to the labels' inability to properly promote the project, for poor record sales and frequent disagreements with the labels' founder Pat Berry.
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
and Ozomatli
, 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
, bossa nova
, Afrobeat
, 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
and U2, as well as to classic soul from Stax
and Motown. The song "We Don't Stop" (featuring Gift of Gab
from Blackalicious
and Spearhead's rapper/beatbox technician Radioactive) bridges the two sounds in a "Magnificent Seven" style mash-up. And on "Love Why Did You Go Away" and "What I Be", Franti reveals an alluring, sensual singing voice. "Pray For Grace" and "Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)" pair Franti with the reggae/funk giants Sly and Robbie
(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.
On July 25, 2006, Michael Franti & Spearhead released Yell Fire!
, inspired by Franti's trip to Israel
, Baghdad
, the West Bank
, and the Gaza Strip
. 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
on backing vocals
.
Franti and Spearhead have gained a worldwide audience through touring and appearances in alternative media like Mother Jones
magazine and Democracy Now!
.
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
, 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
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
s all over the world from Los Angeles to Berlin, San Francisco to CNN
, at demonstrations
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, a paralyzed Iraq War 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
and featured multi-talented vocalist Cherine Anderson
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
's inauguration: The Green Ball, The Peace Ball and the Rock the Vote
Party.
Franti announced in November 2009 that he would be joining musician John Mayer
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
.
Franti announced the release of 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 originally was originally set to be released on August 24, but was pushed back to September 21 to give the album "more runway."
Michael 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.
, and Israel. Franti decided to embark on this three week journey with friends to view the cost of war in the Middle East first-hand. Franti states, "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 multiple generations and to give people 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, but instead bought plane tickets and headed off to Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel armed with nothing more than his guitar and an extreme passion for music and a love of people. He says, "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..."
In 2006, he was invited by Australian Labour
MP Jenny Macklin
to show the film at Australia's Parliament House
, Canberra
.
In 2000, Franti decided not to wear any shoes, initially for three days. Since then, Franti has been walking through life barefoot except for occasionally wearing flip-flops as required to board an airplane or to be served in a restaurant. Franti prefers to go barefoot.
. "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 in 2008 and also in a 2009 PlayStation 3
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
. Showtime's Weeds
featured Franti's song "Ganja Babe" in its first season, his interpretation of the Weeds theme song "Little Boxes
" in Season 3, and "Say Hey" during a flash mob
scene in the premiere episode of Season 5. Philadelphia Phillies
centerfielder Shane Victorino
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
's series Mercy
, as well as in the opening scene of the 2010 film Valentine's Day. The same song was also used in 2010 in a commercial for Corona Light beer. The song is also featured on the soundtrack of the game 2010 World Cup South Africa.
He appeared as himself in the 2010 music documentary Sounds Like A Revolution
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
with a variety of other styles including funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
issues.
Early life
Michael Franti was born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
to an Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
-German-French
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
mother and an African-American and Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
father. However, his mother made an adoption plan for him because she was afraid her family would not accept him. He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a Finnish-American
Finnish American
Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent, who currently number about 700,000.-History:Some Finns, like the ancestors of John Morton, came to the Swedish colony of New Sweden, that existed in mid-17th century....
couple in Oakland, who had three biological children and two adopted African American sons. Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and died in 2003. Michael's four siblings are named Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew. Michael attended Davis Senior High School
Davis Senior High School
Davis Senior High School is one of four high schools located in Davis, California, in the United States. DHS is a WASC accredited, 3-year, public comprehensive high school covering grades 10-12. The campus opened its current location in 1961. Enrollment for school year 2004-2005 was 1,831 students...
and graduated from the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
. During his time at school there he met a priest who taught him how to tell a story on paper, and soon he was writing poetry. He purchased a bass at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by Hip Hop, Punk, and Reggae that was being played on the campus radio station. He has two sons: Ade with his wife Tara Franti-Rye, and Cappy from a previous relationship. At the fourth annual Mountain Jam Festival
Mountain Jam (festival)
Mountain Jam is a three-day music festival in upstate New York, held at the world class Hunter Mountain ski resort the weekend after Memorial Day. In its short history, Mountain Jam has become one of the top music festivals in the U.S. and the premier festival in the Northeast. Rolling Stone...
, he brought Cappy on stage to sing a song.
Beatnigs (1986–1990)
Franti began his music career in 1986 as part of the industrialIndustrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Beatnigs
The Beatnigs
The Beatnigs were a San Francisco band, which combined hard-core punk, industrial and hip hop influences, described as "a kind of avant-guard industrial jazz poets collective". The band was the initial collaboration of Michael Franti and Rono Tse, who would later form Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy...
. While attending the University of San Francisco and living above KUSF
KUSF
KUSF was a non-commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California and owned by the University of San Francisco. From 1963 until 2011, the station broadcast at 90.3 FM MHz....
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
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
records. The records received some critical acclaim but little fame beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.
The 1988 LP release The Beatnigs was recorded at Dancin' Dog Studio in Emeryville and distributed by Alternative Tentacles. In addition to Michael Franti and Ron Tse, the band included Henry Flood on percussion, Andre Flores on keyboards, and Kevin on vocals. All of the band members made multiple instrumental contributions, including industrial percussion.
Disposable Heroes (1991–1993)
His next project, The Disposable Heroes of HiphoprisyThe Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was an American industrial hip-hop band, active during the early 1990s.The band was formed in 1990 by Michael Franti and Rono Tse, who had been in the Beatnigs, and introduced the work of guitarist Charlie Hunter...
, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Charlie Hunter
Charlie Hunter
for the New Zealand racehorse trainer and driver see: Charlie HunterCharlie Hunter is an American guitarist, composer and bandleader....
, and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ians Mark Pistel
Mark Pistel
Mark Pistel is a producer, engineer, programmer, remixer and song writer, who has been working in the genres of Electronic music, Experimental music, Break Beat, Hip-Hop, and Dance, since 1988....
(Consolidated
Consolidated (band)
Consolidated was an American radical activist recording and performing group, formed in 1988 and best known in the early 1990s as an alternative dance/industrial music band. They were distinguished by left-leaning political activism and politically radical lyrics, as well as their innovative sonic...
) and Jack Dangers
Jack Dangers
Jack Dangers is an 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:...
(Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
). The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy wrote politically-charged lyrics that railed against the injustices of the world, set to a fusion of industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
and hip hop. Their first album, Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury
Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury
Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury is the debut album by alternative hip hop crew The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, released in 1992...
(on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
), won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
to open for their Zoo TV Tour
Zoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album Achtung Baby, the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 through 1993...
.
Franti and the Disposable Heroes put together another record of music accompanying novelist William Burroughs' readings for an album entitled Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. This album diverged greatly from the style of the band's previous work, as they were largely providing musical background and accompaniment to Burroughs' spoken readings from several of his books.
Michael Franti & Spearhead (1994–present)
In 1994, Franti formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, including mainstay Carl Young, and announced the dissolution of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Their first release,Home
Home (Spearhead album)
Home is the debut album by Spearhead, released in 1994 under the Capitol Records label. It includes thirteen tracks.It was produced by Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo at Studio 4 in Philly...
, 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
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. 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
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
. In 1998, Spearhead recorded "I Got Plenty 'o Nuthin" with Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin O.D. is a Jamaican guitarist and composer. Best known for his session work at the famed Studio One, Ranglin helped give birth to the ska genre in the late 1950s...
for the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody.
Their follow up album Chocolate Supa Highway
Chocolate Supa Highway
- Track listing :# "Africa On Line" # "Chocolate Supa Highway" # "Keep Me Lifted" # "Food for tha Masses" # "U Can't Sing R Song" # "Tha Payroll " # "Madness in tha Hood "...
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 Marley (musician)
Stephen Robert Nesta "Raggamuffin" Marley is a Jamaican American musician and the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley. He is a five-time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.-Life and career:Marley was born in Wilmington,...
and Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
.
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
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
). 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
Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
, as well as the soundtrack to the 2006 film, Last Holiday
Last Holiday
Last Holiday is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Wayne Wang and starring Queen Latifah. The screenplay by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman is an updated, gender-reversed adaptation of the 1950 film of the same name written by J. B. Priestley....
. 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
Good Burger is a 1997 American comedy film by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Nickelodeon Movies, released by Paramount Pictures, directed by Brian Robbins, and starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell...
, the full-length feature film starring Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell based on their characters from the popular 'Good Burger' sketch featured on the Nickelodeon series All That
All That
All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC...
.
Michael Franti & Spearhead released Stay Human
Stay Human
Stay Human is the third studio release by Michael Franti & Spearhead. Many of the tracks on this album are fictional radio segments focusing on the case of "Sister Fatima" who is executed by album's end...
in 2000 under their own label Boo Boo Wax in alignment with indie music
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
label Six Degrees Records
Six Degrees Records
Six Degrees Records is an independent record label noted for its catalog of recordings from international musicians and vocalists. It has been described by the journalist and producer Derek Beres as "one of the most groundbreaking labels of the past decade."...
. The album's central theme was the unjust nature of the death penalty
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and other major themes included mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
monopolization
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
, the prison-industrial complex
Prison-industrial complex
"Prison–industrial complex" is a term used to attribute the rapid expansion of the US inmate population to the political influence of private prison companies and businesses that supply goods and services to government prison agencies. The term is analogous to the military–industrial complex that...
and corporate globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
.
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." Franti left Six Degrees due to the labels' inability to properly promote the project, for poor record sales and frequent disagreements with the labels' founder Pat Berry.
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
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
and Ozomatli
Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
, 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
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 style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
, bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
, Afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
, and funk. Anthems like the title track "Everyone Deserves Music", "Yes I Will" and "Bomb The World
Bomb The World (song)
"Bomb the World" is a protest song single by Michael Franti & Spearhead from their album "Everyone Deserves Music". The song was written in the dark aftermath of September 11....
" are constructed with a nod to the 1980s rock of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and U2, as well as to classic soul from Stax
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
and Motown. The song "We Don't Stop" (featuring Gift of Gab
Gift of Gab (rapper)
Gift of Gab is an American MC best known for performing in the Bay Area hip-hop duo Blackalicious with DJ Chief Xcel...
from Blackalicious
Blackalicious
Blackalicious is 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 "classic" beats...
and Spearhead's rapper/beatbox technician Radioactive) bridges the two sounds in a "Magnificent Seven" style mash-up. And on "Love Why Did You Go Away" and "What I Be", Franti reveals an alluring, sensual singing voice. "Pray For Grace" and "Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)" pair Franti with the reggae/funk giants Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
(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.
On July 25, 2006, Michael Franti & Spearhead released Yell Fire!
Yell Fire!
Yell Fire! is a 2006 album by the reggae-influenced band Michael Franti and Spearhead. It was inspired by Michael Franti's trip to the Middle East, visiting Iraq, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. It is a politically charged album, with each track focusing on a controversial issue...
, inspired by Franti's trip to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, and the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. 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 (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
on backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
.
Franti and Spearhead have gained a worldwide audience through touring and appearances in alternative media like Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
magazine and Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
.
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
Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner and sentenced to death. He has been described as "perhaps the world's best known death-row inmate", and his sentence is one of the most debated today...
, 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
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
such as "You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace" have found their way onto protest signs
Protest art
Protest art is a broad term that refers to creative works that concern or are produced by activists and social movements. There are also contemporary and historical works and currents of thought that can be characterized in this way....
and t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s all over the world from Los Angeles to Berlin, San Francisco to CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, at demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
for peace large and small.
The song "Light Up Ya Lighter" by Michael Franti & Spearhead was included on the soundtrack to Body of War
Body of War
Body of War, directed by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue, is a 2007 documentary following Tomas Young, an Iraq War veteran paralyzed from a bullet to the spine, on a physical and emotional journey as he adapts to his new body and begins to question the decision to go to war in Iraq.As Tomas's journey...
, an award-winning documentary about Tomas Young, a paralyzed Iraq War 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
All Rebel Rockers
All Rebel Rockers is an album by Michael Franti & Spearhead released on September 9, 2008 on Boo Boo Wax Records. It peaked at #37 on the U.S. Billboard 200, making it their most successful album....
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
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
and featured multi-talented vocalist Cherine Anderson
Cherine Anderson
Cherine Anderson is a Jamaican actress and dancehall/reggae vocalist.-Biography:Anderson's acting career began with a role in Dancehall Queen ; she is also known for playing the character Serena in the 2003 Jamaican film, One Love.Anderson has worked and performed with Sly and Robbie, Sting,...
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
Aux.tv
Aux is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel and corresponding website owned and operated by Glassbox Television...
'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 Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's inauguration: The Green Ball, The Peace Ball and the Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
Party.
Franti announced in November 2009 that he would be joining musician John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
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
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
.
Franti announced the release of 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 originally was originally set to be released on August 24, but was pushed back to September 21 to give the album "more runway."
Michael 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.
Politics
Franti is also an advocate for peace in the Middle East. His film I Know I'm Not Alone features footage of Iraq, the Palestinian territoriesPalestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, and Israel. Franti decided to embark on this three week journey with friends to view the cost of war in the Middle East first-hand. Franti states, "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 multiple generations and to give people 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, but instead bought plane tickets and headed off to Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel armed with nothing more than his guitar and an extreme passion for music and a love of people. He says, "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..."
In 2006, he was invited by Australian Labour
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
MP Jenny Macklin
Jenny Macklin
Jennifer Louise Macklin , is an Australian politician. She is Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the Gillard Ministry...
to show the film at Australia's Parliament House
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
Personal life
Inspired by his son, Michael became a vegan.In 2000, Franti decided not to wear any shoes, initially for three days. Since then, Franti has been walking through life barefoot except for occasionally wearing flip-flops as required to board an airplane or to be served in a restaurant. Franti prefers to go barefoot.
Studio albums
- 1994: HomeHome (Spearhead album)Home is the debut album by Spearhead, released in 1994 under the Capitol Records label. It includes thirteen tracks.It was produced by Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo at Studio 4 in Philly...
- 1997: Chocolate Supa HighwayChocolate Supa Highway- Track listing :# "Africa On Line" # "Chocolate Supa Highway" # "Keep Me Lifted" # "Food for tha Masses" # "U Can't Sing R Song" # "Tha Payroll " # "Madness in tha Hood "...
- 2001: Stay HumanStay HumanStay Human is the third studio release by Michael Franti & Spearhead. Many of the tracks on this album are fictional radio segments focusing on the case of "Sister Fatima" who is executed by album's end...
- 2003: Everyone Deserves MusicEveryone Deserves MusicEveryone Deserves Music is the fourth studio release by Michael Franti & Spearhead. The album is possibly most famous for Franti's protest song "Bomb the World".-Track listing:#"What I Be" #"We Don't Stop" #"Everyone Deserves Music"...
- 2006: Yell Fire!Yell Fire!Yell Fire! is a 2006 album by the reggae-influenced band Michael Franti and Spearhead. It was inspired by Michael Franti's trip to the Middle East, visiting Iraq, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. It is a politically charged album, with each track focusing on a controversial issue...
#125 USBillboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... - 2008: All Rebel RockersAll Rebel RockersAll Rebel Rockers is an album by Michael Franti & Spearhead released on September 9, 2008 on Boo Boo Wax Records. It peaked at #37 on the U.S. Billboard 200, making it their most successful album....
#39 USBillboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... - 2010: The Sound of SunshineThe Sound Of Sunshine (album)-Critical reception:The Sound of Sunshine received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 7 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...
Singles
- 1994: "Of course you can" UK #74
- 1995: "Hole in the bucket" UK #55
- 1995: "People in tha middle" UK #49
- 1995: "Positive"
- 1997: "U can't sing R song"
- 1997: "Why Oh Why" UK #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"
- 2003: "Everyone Deserves Music"
- 2009: "Obama Song" (feat. SoliLaquists of Sound, Cherine Anderson & Anthony B) (Digital Only)
- 2009: "Say Hey (I Love You)Say Hey (I Love You)"Say Hey " is a single by Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Jamaica soulstress Cherine Anderson released in 2009 from their album All Rebel Rockers. The single is produced by Sly & Robbie. The music video peaked at number five on the VH1 Top 20 countdown and the single has peaked at number 18 on...
" #18 USBillboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... - 2011: "Hey Hey Hey"
Live albums and compilations
- 1994: Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool
- 1998: Red Hot + Rhapsody
- 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 WireThe Wire: And All the Pieces Matter -- Five Years of Music from The Wire- Personnel :*Ivan Ashford – vocals*Avery Bargasse – vocals*Karina Benznicki – production supervisor*James Bevelle – engineer, mixing*David Bither – executive producer*Cameron Brown – vocals*Andre Burke – violin*Greg Calbi – mastering...
Collaborations
- 1992: Infinity within (album)Infinity WithinInfinity Within is the second album by the band Deee-Lite. Released in 1992 on Elektra, the album's lyrical content, instrumentation, and overall tone showcases the band's political activism as a more literal part of the music than on its debut, World Clique...
(Deee-LiteDeee-LiteDeee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group, formed in New York City, United States. The group's best-known single was "Groove Is in the Heart", from their 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S...
, "Fuddy Duddy Judge" feat. Michael Franti) - 1995: Blue In The Face (Movie Soundtrack)Blue in the FaceBlue in the Face is a 1995 comedy directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster. It stars Harvey Keitel, Victor Argo, Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Mel Gorham, Jim Jarmusch,and Malik Yoba....
("To My Ba-Bay!" w/ Spearhead & Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
) - 1997: Seven, "Poetry Man" (with Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
and King BrittKing BrittKing Britt is an American DJ and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.King Britt is his actual legal name.- 1987: Tower Records Years :...
) and "Baba Hooker" (with Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
) - 1997: Black Enough? (Steel PulseSteel PulseSteel Pulse is a roots reggae musical band. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, in Birmingham, England, composed of David Hinds , Basil Gabbidon , and Ronald McQueen .-History:...
feat. Michael Franti of Spearhead) - 1999: Dal Basso (JovanottiJovanottiLorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
feat. Michael Franti) - 2001: Stay Human, "Listener Supported" (with Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
})- Steady Pull (Jonatha Brooke feat. Michael Franti)
- 2002: 1 Giant Leap1 Giant Leap (album)- Personnel :*Horace Andy – Vocals*Asha Bhosle – Vocals*Goetz Botzenhardt – Mixing Engineer*Duncan Bridgeman – Guitar , Bass, Flute, Guitar, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Group Member...
(Jamie CattoJamie CattoJamie Catto is a former and founding member of Faithless. He was the ballad singer/songwriter, and became Art Director and Video Director of the band before leaving in 1999 to form the double-Grammy nominated, global music and film project 1 Giant Leap. His last album with Faithless was Sunday 8PM...
& 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 SublimeLook at All the Love We FoundLook at All the Love We Found is a tribute album by various artists dedicated to Sublime, released on June 21, 2005 . The title comes from a lyric in the song "S.T.P." on Sublime's Robbin' the Hood album.-Track listing:...
("What I Got" w/ Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Gift of GabGift of Gab (rapper)Gift of Gab is an American MC best known for performing in the Bay Area hip-hop duo Blackalicious with DJ Chief Xcel...
) - 2006: What's This? (Franti, Gabriel RíosGabriel RiosGabriel Ríos is a Puerto Rican musician currently residing in Brooklyn.-Biography:As a child Ríos was member of his church choir, and in addition to this early exposure to music his father also taught him to play the guitar. After finishing his studies at the Academia del Perpetuo Socorro high...
and Flip KowlierFlip KowlierFlip Kowlier is a Belgian singer-songwriter, from Izegem, West Flanders, born in 1976. He sings in a distinct West Flemish dialect...
) - 2007: Supermoon, "Hey Brotha" (with Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
) - 2008: Mani libere (JovanottiJovanottiLorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
feat. Michael Franti)- The End (Sugarush Beat Company feat. Michael Franti)
- 2009: All Rebel Rockers, "High Low" (with Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
) - 2010: El Vecindario, "Monkey Man" (with MacacoMacacoMacaco can refer to:*Macaco - a martial arts technique used in capoeira*Macaco - a musical band.*A comics character and periodical created by K-Hito *The Portuguese variant of the pejorative epithet, Macaca...
) - 2011: Battiti di ali di farfalla (with Lorenzo JovanottiJovanottiLorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
Cherubini) - 2011: The Sound of Sunshine (with Lorenzo JovanottiJovanottiLorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
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)
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
- 1992: Hypocrisy Is the Greatest LuxuryHypocrisy Is the Greatest LuxuryHypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury is the debut album by alternative hip hop crew The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, released in 1992...
- 1992: Spare-Ass Annie and Other Tales (William S. BurroughsWilliam S. BurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
album)
Appearances in media
Franti's music was featured twice on HBO's urban drama The WireThe WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. "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
Privileged (TV series)
Privileged is an American television drama that premiered on The CW Television Network in the USA and Citytv in Canada on September 9, 2008. The series stars former Reba star Joanna García and is based on the Alloy Entertainment book How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean...
on the CW in 2008 and also in a 2009 PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
commercial. "Yell Fire" was used to promote the FX channel series Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
and was also used in the closing credits of the pilot episode of Virtuality
Virtuality (TV series)
Virtuality is a television pilot co-written by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor and directed by Peter Berg that aired on the Fox network. Since the show was never picked up as a television series, the two-hour pilot episode aired as a movie on June 26, 2009.- Plot :The story is set aboard the...
on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. Showtime's Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
featured Franti's song "Ganja Babe" in its first season, his interpretation of the Weeds theme song "Little Boxes
Little Boxes
"Little Boxes" is a song written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962, which became a hit for her friend Pete Seeger in 1963.The song is a political satire about the development of suburbia and associated conformist middle-class attitudes...
" in Season 3, and "Say Hey" during a flash mob
Flash mob
A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression...
scene in the premiere episode of Season 5. Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
centerfielder Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
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
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's series Mercy
Mercy (TV series)
Mercy is a medical drama which aired on NBC from September 23, 2009 to May 12, 2010. The series initially aired on Wednesday nights at 8/7c, as part of the 2009 fall season, but was pushed back to 9/8c in April....
, as well as in the opening scene of the 2010 film Valentine's Day. The same song was also used in 2010 in a commercial for Corona Light beer. The song is also featured on the soundtrack of the game 2010 World Cup South Africa.
He appeared as himself in the 2010 music documentary Sounds Like A Revolution
Sounds Like a Revolution
Sounds Like a Revolution is a feature documentary about recent protest music in America.Directed by Canadian directors Summer Love and Jane Michener, the film was released in June 2010 and had its world premiere at NXNE festival and its theatrical premiere at The Royal Theatre in Toronto,...
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External links
- Michael Franti - official website
- http://www.facebook.com/michaelfrantiFacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
] - official Michael Franti Facebook - http://www.myspace.com/michaelfranti/MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
] - official Michael Franti MySpace - I Know I'm Not Alone - official website
- http://www.archive.org/details/MichaelFrantiandSpearheadMichael Franti and Spearhead @ the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
] (live music archive)