Michael Franti’s music has addressed worldly issues with passion and an eye on the possibility of change for nearly four decades.

He’s an imposing figure, at 6’6” — and uses his visibility as an artist, activist and humanitarian, standing on the frontline for social justice.

“Music is one way we can hold on to our sense of purpose and our passion for life, our celebration for the positive things that we see everyday,” he said. “It’s a way for us to speak out against the negativity and challenging things that we see in the world.

“Music is one of the things that keeps us going when we need that extra burst of energy.”

He’ll appear at The Republik on Friday to share that energy.

Bringing issues to light is a responsibility he will always relish, Franti said — because he believes that despite living in a world plagued by conflict and inequality, positive global change is attainable.

“I’ve always written songs that spoke to people who felt like they were outsiders,” he said. “I wanted to speak up for them.”

As a result, from the beginning of his musical career in the mid-1980s, he has addressed topics including homelessness and the AIDS crisis, threats to the environment, gun violence and war. “I always try to express my authentic self and be who I am,” he said.

His journey in music began with edgy, angry protest music in 1986 as the lead emcee of industrial punk band Beatnigs. Franti then joined politically charged group The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, challenging the materialism and misogyny of rap music in the early ’90s.

Later in the ’90s, Franti transitioned into a more reggae and jam-band influenced sound along with bandmates in Spearhead. He experienced his first taste of commercial success in 2009, when upbeat anthem “Say Hey I Love You” charted at No. 18 on the Billboard 100. He scored a No. 1 hit the following year with folk-rock jam “The Sound of Sunshine.”

After 25 years, he’s still exploring musical styles, from rock and funk to dancehall and hip hop, and preaching positivity.

“Ever since I started, it’s been the same message: How do we hold on to our humanity in challenging times, like the ones that we are living in,” he said.

Friday’s concert at The Republik follows the release of his latest album, “Stay Human II,” released in January. It’s the 10th Spearhead album.

Franti says his current album should not be viewed as a direct sequel to 2001’s “Stay Human” — but as with that album, he shows off his zest for life. The album includes feel-good jams like “Only Thing Missing Was You 2,” with former Kaneohe resident and Le Jardin graduate Hirie.

Franti, 53, was born in Oakland and adopted by a white middle-class family at 9 months old. His birth mother is of Irish, German and Belgian descent while his father is African African and Native American.

Growing up in a mixed-race household with two stepbrothers and two stepsisters allowed him to see different sides of cultures early on in life, he said — and this understanding helps him connect with a diverse fan base.

“I grew up around white people. I grew up around black people. My one sister is a lesbian, so I grew up around a lot of difference,” he said. “It’s helped me to see that people shouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin.

“There’s a lot more that people have in common, based on their interests, passions, music, things that they feel strongly about socially and politically — those things I found to be more important.”

It’s fatherhood that inspires him most, he said. Franti, a father of three sons, said he was a 20-year-old musician with different priorities at the time when his first son Ade was born, and he’s learned much since then. The birth of 7 1/2 month-old son Taj, his youngest, has been a revelation.

“One of the things that becoming a parent does is make you think about the world and your responsibility to create a place where your children can live and thrive and be at peace and embraced by their unique self,” Franti said. “My music is all about that.

“Being a father is my greatest joy in life. It’s also part of my deepest sadness,” he said. “Being given up for adoption at birth I grew up feeling completely rejected by my birth mother and father, so to be a father has helped me to heal from that.”

As he did, Franti believes anyone can evolve, and be a positive catalyst.

“I want to encourage young people today to really just be yourself, your authentic self — be who you are and try not to judge yourself based on others in social media,” he said. “The truth is no one is perfect. Everybody has pain inside them, and there are challenges we all face.”

———

IN CONCERT

Michael Franti and Spearhead

Where:

The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.

When:

8 p.m. Friday

Cost:

$38-$43; all ages

Info:

jointherepublik.com, 941-7469