Spearhead - Chocolate Supa Highway (1997)

What sets Chocolate Supa Highway immediately apart from the previous album Home is its sound -- boasting a murky, bass-heavy atmosphere clearly influenced by the rise of trip-hop, the album lends Michael Franti's politically-charged raps a cinematic distinction missing from his previous efforts. Spanning from R&B-textured urban grooves to jagged rap anthems, Chocolate Supa Highway is no less challenging or confrontational than its predecessor, but for the most time Franti's music bears an importance equal to his message.~Chocolate Supa Highway Review by Jason Ankeny

Michael Franti is still shootin’ from the hip on this second album with Spearhead. If you like the first, this one should be a very pleasant discovery. Dark, deep funk meets progressive hip-hop. ‘Chocolate Supa Highway’ seems to be coming from a deeper place than the usual hip-hop fare, and it’s not just rap, although that’s the major force, but some of the songs got this real authentic, slinky ’70s soul sound. From R&B slow jams to fight the power anthems. Spearhead is like adult contemporary political hip-hop who really understands the art of spoken word, and story-telling. This album’s got a spiritual vibe and at the same time it’s Spearhead’s darkest album.