Stay Human

Amazon.co.uk There aren't many hip-hop artists out there today who give a damn about putting positive messages in their music, but Michael Franti is one of them. Stay Human tackles, among other things, the subject of capital punishment. Through a make believe community radio station, Franti tells the tale of Sister Fatima, a healer and activist who is being put to death for a crime that her community believes she didn't commit. Ever since his days with seminal group Disposable Heroes of Hip Hoprisy, Franti has infused his sounds with insightful and thought-provoking lyricism, and this latest Spearhead joint is no exception. The "live" broadcasts act as elaborate skits between Franti's insouciant soul-rap hybrids and help to "expose" the arrogant nature of America's judicial system and the brutal finality of the death sentence. Musically, Franti has created a richer, more string-laden backdrop for his tracks, creating some of his best idiosynchratic, feel-good vibes to date. But while the funkadelic edge of "Rock the Nation" and laid-back ballad style of "Do Ya Love" are worthy in their own right, Franti's real genius lies in his ability to weave opinions into compelling narratives so that we don't feel we're being battered over the head with someone else's ideas. Emotive, soulful and opinionated, Spearhead are almost singlehandedly keeping alive a tradition epitomised by Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers. Don't sleep. --Paul Sullivan