Stay Human
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. Ever since his days with seminal groupDisposable Heroes of  Hiphoprisy, Franti has infused his sounds with insightful and  thought-provoking lyricism, and this latest Spearhead joint is no  exception.Stay Humantackles, 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. 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 idiosyncratic,  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 single-handedly keeping alive a tradition  epitomized byCurtis Mayfield,Marvin Gaye, andBill Withers.  Don't sleep.--Paul Sullivan