Michael Franti

“Not all artists have a responsibility to be socially or politically aware, but they do have a responsibility to make great art. They have to find some truth and put that in their music.”

“We have a saying in my house, my kids and my girlfriend. We say, 'Be your best for the greater good, and rock out wherever you are.'”

“'Star Wars' is mythology. It's like Greek mythology or Shakespeare. It's the story of good versus evil over a very long span of time. The storytelling is universal and timeless.”

“With all the people hating and hurting each other, I don't understand how people could get upset about people of the same sex caring for each other.”

“The rap community has been singled out as more homophobic than other groups, but I don't think that's right. It's homophobic, all right, but no more so than the heavy-metal community or the...”

“I drive a hybrid. It's a Ford Escape. That's my only car.”

“I'm not an idealist. I know we're not going to be living in a world that's peace and love all the time. But we can live in a world where we kill each other a lot less.”

“Music is sunshine. Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood. Music gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose.”

“Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood.”

“I think my soul is intact, but my methods of reaching people are completely different.”

“In Jamaica, the music is recorded for the sound system, not the iPod. It's about experiencing music together, with other people.”

“The corporate media is there to push the agenda of the sponsors, and many of those sponsors are weapons manufacturers. So it stands to reason that you won't get a diversity of opinions on te...”

“Our country was founded on immigration. We are all occupying Native American land here. At what point do we say 'It's our land, and nobody else can come here.'”

“My music is part of the quest I have to find new ways of telling stories, and also, I want to inspire people.”

“It's a really personal thing for me to write a song.”

“When I first started out, I thought it was enough to make an angry song that pointed out the problems of the world.”

“I've always found that the poorer the places that I go, the more smiles I see, and the more happiness I see.”

“I came up playing in both punk rock bands and hip-hop bands, and I found a more universal way of reaching people, especially with music that has a message to it.”

“Investing now in safe-guarding people by helping them to adapt to climate change, will help save money and lives while building resilience.”

“My greatest sense of accomplishment has come from having two amazing sons, but it's also a paradox in that the times when I felt like the biggest failure have been times when I felt like, as...”