Positivity Break -- Michael Franti, from Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy to Spearhead

[ancianita]

America wasn't ready. The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was an American hip-hop musical ensemble active in the 1990s, formed in 1990 by Michael Franti (vocals, production, misc. instruments) and Rono Tse (drums, percussion, programming), who had worked together in The Beatnigs, a jazz group. Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury, their first album, was listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Franti. Still underrated yet relevant.


so much better with


Water Pistol Man

When girls dressed in black they all look so lonely
And contraceptives don't get used by the horny
You can't find the key to the door in your building
But are you still willing

The responsibility becomes an afterthought
When one remembers the things that they should've bought
There's no pretending that you forgot

Must everything in life have political ramifications
Even taking kids on vacation or having a simple operation
But my friend Billy told me that sometimes
It takes a grown man a long time to learn
Just what it takes a child a night to learn
And my son proved his words

Water pistol man full of ammunition
Squirtin' at fires on a worldwide mission
But did you ever think to stop to squirt
The flowers in your own backyard

For all my faux pa's I never said excuse me
Was the simplest things that always confused me
I never stopped I never looked both ways

Must it always a tug of love between friends and work
Hope to learn the meaning of the word jerk
Before it happens to a rope round my neck

Let's build a bigger telescope
So that we can see things more up close
Farther away from where we really are

I was up the whole night before
Reading books about places I'll probably never go
And those aren't good things to know about

When I feel with my heart, I know in my mind
I should say with my lips
But don't does that make you feel upset?

I should know that the power of one man seems like a small squirt
When he aims at the flames of the whole earth
But the fire starts at home...


Music and Politics

We Are All Earthlings

We are all earthlings
And we share the air we breathe
We're all made from Heaven's seeds
And we are all earthlings


And I love this life we live
And I love to give this feeling away
I love this life we live
And I'm gonna give it all away
So shine your light until the break o' dawn
And shine your light if you're all alone
And shine your light until the early morn'
Let it shine on and on and on and on and on


We are all earthlings
From the cities to the mountains and the deserts and the deep blue see
To the palaces and prisons and the paradises that I see
That we are all earthlings

And I love this life we live
And I love to give this feeling away
I love this life we live
And I'm gonna give it all away
So shine your light until the break o' dawn
And shine your light if you're all alone
And shine your light until the early morn'
Let it shine on and on and on and on and on

[DopLnk]

1. Love The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

Played this cd almost to death! Incredible is the only word to describe it. Was always sad that they did not do more music, it was much needed at the time and so very relevant today. Thanks for the reminder to dig it out and play it to death again!

[ancianita]

2. Great!

Michael Franti is still around, so I hope you're glad for that.

I'm surprised that the manager of The Clash and Pink Floyd didn't do better for DHH than he did.

But as I've said, America just wasn't ready. They hated Public Enemy, too, along with other hip hop artists who told the truth.

Welcome to DU!