Michael Franti & Spearhead

Michael Franti & Spearhead is an alternative-rock band that blends hip-hop, reggae, folk, and jazz in songs reflecting their leader’s antiwar activism and social justice concerns. ∙ The video for Spearhead’s homelessness lament “Hole in the Bucket,” from their critically acclaimed debut album, Home, won a Clio Award in 1994. ∙ Coproduced by the Grammy-winning reggae artist Stephen Marley, 1997’s Chocolate Supa Highway included guest turns by Joan Osborne and the world music act Zap Mama. ∙ The band first realized their signature eclectic style on 2001’s Stay Human, a sprawling concept album reflecting Franti’s opposition to the death penalty. ∙ Spearhead’s double-Platinum, dancehall-tinged single “Say Hey (I Love You)” was their first to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 18 in 2008. ∙ Their 2010 album, The Sound of Sunshine, reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200, and the title track topped the Adult Alternative Songs chart. ∙ Released in 2020, the video for their sunny hit love song “I Got You,” from Work Hard and Be Nice, has nearly 900,000 views.