Michael Franti is leader of the San Francisco Bay Area rap/soul/jazz combo Spearhead.

He was born April 21, 1968, in San Francisco. In 1992, as part of the rap combo Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Franti issued Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury, and was acclaimed for his insightful rapping.

In 1994 Franti formed Spearhead, a rap group influenced by '70s funk. Their first LP, Home, was followed by Chocolate Supa Highway (1997), featuring "Africa On Line" and the title cut.

Spearhead took its name from King Shaka of the Zulu tribe, who invented the assagai, the spear that the Zulu nation used to combat colonialism in South Africa.

Franti uses military and battle imagery in the artwork for his group's albums.