FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
SPEARHEAD
Chocolate Supa Highway
EMI· Spearhead's sophomore release a mix of hip hop and reggae beats and includes a duet with Stephen Marley, "Rebel Music."
· Michael Franti reworks one of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy's most poignant and subtle songs, "Water Pistol Man."
"If ever I should stop thinking about music and politics...."
In the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Michael Franti established his musical career as an overtly political entity. At six-foot-six, Franti has the stage presence to hold an audience like a evangelical preacher, and it came as some surprise when he left the Disposable Heroes behind and released Home, Spearhead's debut, in 1994.
Compared to his previous efforts Home was a laid-back soulful mix where politics, while still a motivation, took second place to Franti's desire to create music over a message. Chocolate Supa Highway, then, is a return to his roots.
Chocolate Supa Highway is a more aggressive record than Home, preferring hip hop and reggae rhythms over soul. Media perception of race, poverty issues and police brutality are just a few of the themes Franti tackles. While blunt in his messages, Franti avoids being preachy by playing with the genre, always innovating.
For those introduced to Michael Franti through Spearhead's Home, Chocolate Supa Highway may come as a bit of a surprise. To those familiar with Franti's earlier projects, this record will come as a treat which challenges the boundaries of an overly macho genre.
4/5
Ian Chiclo
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