He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band which blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock.

[7][8] Then he attended Davis Senior High School and University of San Francisco on a full basketball scholarship, where during the 1985–1986 season, he averaged 2.4 pts per game.

He purchased a bass guitar at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by hip hop, punk, and reggae which was being played on the campus radio station, KUSF.

The Beatnigs included dancer and percussionist Rono Tse;[11] the band released a self-titled LP and an EP Television on Alternative Tentacles records.

In addition to Michael Franti and Ron Tse, the band included Henry Flood on percussion, Andre Flores on keyboards, and Kevin Carnes on vocals.

His next project, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, as well as electronic musicians Mark Pistel (Consolidated) and Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto).

The Disposable Heroes 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),[11] won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2 to open for their Zoo TV Tour.

The album's lyrics dealt with a range of issues, including the US involvement in the Gulf war, the oil industry, homophobic violence, immigration, Franti's own cultural background and adoption, and more personal politics.

The single "Television, The Drug of The Nation" (previously recorded by Franti's former project, The Beatnigs) gained airplay on college and alternative radio stations for its critique of mainstream television, which as the title implies, blames the media for a political numbing of ordinary people, explicit in the lyrics: "T.V., it satellite links, our United States of unconsciousness, apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive".

[12] The Disposable Heroes recorded music accompanying novelist William Burroughs' readings for an album entitled Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales.

The distinctive work of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy has been analyzed in various academic papers, including by author Leslie Haywood and editor Jeniffer Drake in the book Third Wave Agenda, Being Feminist and Doing Feminism.

[14] In 1994, Franti dissolved the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, including mainstay Carl Young.

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).

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.

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!

[18] Michael Franti continues to gain influence in both popular music and social movements largely through extensive touring and word of mouth fan support.

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.

Franti decided to embark on a three-week journey with friends to view the human cost of war in the Middle East first-hand.

According to Franti, the album was inspired by contemporary issues like climate change, the price of gas going up and down, the stock market and the auto industry, and the Obama presidency.

[39] His foundation has bridged connections between fans of all ages with their musical heroes, with the participation of notable artists such as Billie Eilish, JoJo Siwa, Pentatonix, and Franti himself.

"[41] His resort was originally named Stay Human Yoga Retreat Center when it first opened in 2011, a joint venture between Franti and Carla Swanson.

Bali is an island of creative geniuses, and what I mean by that is everybody, whether you're a banker, shop owner or something like that, everyone does some form of art...they all really work together and they're all super-creative and just very kind people.

"[43] He explained the organic nature of this venture, "I thought it would be a good place to buy a little piece of land and, hopefully, build a little vacation home.

"[43] Soulshine has hosted many retreats led by people such as Trevor Hall and FullyRaw Kristina, serving organically grown food from their own farms.

Amazing people that I've met on my travels around the globe, who have chosen to overcome cynicism with optimism, hope, tenacity, music, and love – and remind us all what it means to STAY HUMAN.