Michael Franti & Spearhead - Everyone Deserves Music (2003)

In a rap world set predominately on a limited range of topics to cover, politically and socially charged hip-hop is a breath of pure, fresh air. For the past decade, Spearhead and Michael Franti have been the antiseptic to a plaque-filled gold-toothed hip-hop mouth, expelling righteous truths and music with extremely thoughtful, meticulous details. Everyone Deserves Music continues with the tradition, but takes the sound of Spearhead into more of a disco-funk territory at times. This doesn't displace Franti's lyrics by any means, but gives him an extremely fresh perspective to stretch out and experiment with his delivery. Not so much a punch to the stomach like their previous releases, Franti and Spearhead almost made a deliberate attempt to stray from the typical hip-hop beats and go for something a bit more organic and acoustic than their previous efforts -- and the experiments more than pay off. It's honest, compelling, emotional, and soulful, and it's unfortunate that these values don't equate with much in the commercial hip-hop market anymore. In a perfect world, this would be a future classic played out of every car stereo, boombox, and apartment for generations to come.~Everyone Deserves Music Review by Rob Theakston