Michael Franti

Singer/songwriter and poet Michael Franti fuses themes of love, community, and social consciousness with a distinctive cocktail of R&B, hip-hop, soul, folk, rock, and reggae. He established himself in the late '80s with ambitious projects like Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy before forming Spearhead in the early '90s. Moving beyond the angry, politically charged punk and hip-hop of his early days, Franti employed Spearhead as the vehicle for channeling his innate seriousness, social unease, and desire for change into a more compassionate and positive musical force that produced albums like Stay Human (2001), Everyone Deserves Music (2003), and All People (2016). Work Hard and Be Nice appeared during the pandemic, followed by Follow Your Heart in 2022. Franti and Spearhead released the 17-track Big Big Love in 2023. Following a long run of tour dates, Franti and the band re-emerged with Welcome to the Family in 2025.