
BEYOND
Michael Franti & Spearhead
SUNDAY 14 JULY 2002 • STATENHALL • 00:30 - 01:45
Lineup
Carl Young, David Shul, Elisabeth Coyle- Johnson, Joshua Klorke, Kevin Choice, Mannars Itiene, Michael Franti, Wood Farguheson Jr..
About
After the black militant 'junkyard funk' of The Beatnigs and the aggressive 'industrial rap' of The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy vocalist Michael Franti founds a new group in the beginning of the nineties, Spearhead. The American singer wraps his confronting lyrics up in a form of hip hop mixed with influences of funk, soul and reggae, and presents them to a wide audience. Franti speaks of many controversial subjects in a grooving way, ranging from immigration problems to Aids, political issues and death penalty. On Stay Human he makes a firm statement against death penalty. His message is and stays honest and confronting, even when wrapped up in a danceable wrapper. Home, the first album made by Spearhead - which includes the provocating Hole In The Bucket - is already a classic and injects new life into the hip hop-genre. On the musically speaking prolonged sequel, Chocolate Supa Highway, Franti directs his anger towards the American prison system. It takes some years before Spearhead finds a new home with another record company. In the meantime Franti does many spoken word performances and plays in restaurants acoustically, releasing an independent compilation.
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