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Platinum-selling R&B/Pop superstar Frankie J is finding great success with music lovers around the world.
Priceless, Frankie's new album for Columbia Records, is a worthy successor to his earlier works including his 2003 debut, What's a Man To Do?, which featured the smash hit Don't Wanna Try, and last year's RIAA platinum-certified The One, which debuted at ..3 on the Billboard Top 200 and kicked out the hits Obsession (No Es Amor), How to Deal and The One.
A subsequent DualDisc CD/DVD release of Frankie's breakout album The One included Suga Suga, his hit collaboration with rapper Baby Bash, as well as his star-making version of Extreme's More Than Words. Un Nuevo Dia, his latest Spanish language album, came out earlier this year and debuted ..7 on Billboard Latin Top 100.
Priceless was recorded in part in Houston's famed 7303 studios where Frankie J collaborated with a who's-who of hip-hop and urban writer/producers including Mannie Fresh (Juvenile, Big Tymers, Lil Wayne, Teena Marie), red-hot rapper Chamillionaire and his producers Play-N-Skillz ("Ridin'"). Frankie's Priceless magic comes alive on tracks like the album's first single, That Girl, a smashing club track that shows Frankie's range extends beyond crooning hot ballads. That Girl (produced by Mannie Fresh and featuring Chamillionaire) is currently burning up the nation's charts as one of the most added singles on radio across the country. "Everyone knows me as this balladeer guy," Frankie admits, "but now I can dance to my own song. It's an intro to a whole new world for me."
Among Frankie J's other partners on Priceless are Bryan Michael Cox and Adonis Stropshire (Jermaine Dupri, Jagged Edge, Chris Brown); and writer/producer Happy Perez (Priceless, Suga Suga and Obsession) on a pair of Frankie J-penned ballads (Still and Daddy's Little Girl). If He Can't Be -- written by Ryan Tedder (Missy Elliott, Timbaland) and produced by Mike Caran (Trick Daddy) -- even features a sample of Billy Idol's "Eyes Without a Face." Priceless also finds Frankie teaming up with Bone Thugs & Harmony and Slim from 112.
"I'm the type of guy who likes to collaborate with people in the studio," Frankie J explains. "I love writing. That's my number one thing. I always have to be involved with what the song is about because I'm the one who's going to be singing it. But I'm real open when it comes to ideas. I always like to strive for difference in the direction of my music. Things you don't hear on the radio. It gives the album a unique vibe, it spices everything up. I definitely didn't want to do what everybody else is doing."
For instance, Priceless, the album's title track, is about "a wealthy guy who realizes he's done wrong and tries to win his girl back, knowing he can buy anything he wantsexcept love, and that he's willing to spend whatever it takes, but it's not enough."
Other songs, like the self-penned Still and Daddy's Little Girl, are autobiographical. "The songs touch the subjects of my life," says Frankie. "I always write from my personal experiences, but also what I believe others will respond to. It's like a Hollywood movie, which appeals to a wide audience."
Although his first solo effort came out just three years ago, Frankie J is a seasoned performer whose background exposed him to music from both sides of the border. "There was always a mix of music in my home," he recalls. Frankie's father was the lead singer of a band and his grandfather played violin in the local church. "My parents were big on regional Mexican music, like cumbias, rancheras and corridos," he explains. "At the same time, my oldest brother used to listen to the hip-hop joints and R&B of the day, like Full Force, Ready for the World, New Edition, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, the Fat Boys and LL Cool J. And all my uncles were into classic '50s R&B and soul."
Born Francisco Javier Bautista in Tijuana and raised in San Diego, Frankie J began writing songs at the age of 10-11, but didn't fully explore his singing talent until he was urged to do so by a high school classmate. Inspired by his older brother who was part of a break-dancing crew, Frankie began listening to freestyle acts like Lisa Lisa, Brenda K. Starr and George Lamond, one of his early vocal influences.
He was signed to an independent record deal when he was 15, and while it didn't make him a star, it did lead him to meeting his current manager Charlie Chavez while playing shows in Texas. Chavez hooked him up with Selena's brother A.B. Quintanilla, as the lead singer for his group The Kumbia Kings, which prompted his first move to Texas. Leaving the group in 2003 to pursue a solo career, Frankie J quickly made his mark with his first Top 10 single Don't Wanna Try. He went on to chart with a number of other singles including ..1 hits Suga Suga, with Baby Bash in 2003, and 2005's Obsession (No Es Amor), and a string of Top 10 hits -- How To Deal, and More Than Words, and this year's smash, Pensando En Ti, from his 2006 Spanish language release, Un Nueva Dia. Frankie J's last English-language album, 2005's The One, debuted at ..3 on the Billboard Top 200 and has gone on to achieve RIAA platinum status.
Throughout his career, Frankie has never lost sight of his Latino background, even as he crossed over to the English-speaking market with smash hits like 2005's platinum-selling The One album. He remains committed to the integrity of his Latin heritage and his R&B musical roots on Priceless. "You have to stick to your roots," Frankie offers. "You can't forget about them. If you forget about your people, they will definitely forget about you. You have to pay back those who were there when you started. If I lose that, I won't be able to do what I've always wanted to do."
Toward that end, Frankie embarked on a 12-city national tour as part of McDonald's Lo McXimo de la Musica concert series, with Luis Fonsi, Nina Sky, Orishas and Jeannie Ortega. Throughout the tour, Frankie J has made a personal commitment to support Hispanic higher education through the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources (RMHC/HACER) Scholarship Program.
With the release of Priceless, Frankie J proves himself to be an artist ready for the challenge of following up a platinum success. "When you have a record go to ..1 and it's everywhere, you have to come with it again," he says. "My career has been a slow, gradual build, and I think that's the best way because I'm learning how to appreciate all the stuff that comes when you're able to make great music. We're all very proud of this album and are looking for this to be the biggest yet."
Now residing in the musical hot bed of Houston, Texas, Frankie is enjoying his crossover fame. "I'm just having fun with it, having a great time," he says. "I go to a restaurant or a mall and people just want your autograph or to shake your hand. And that's the best feeling. I can't complain. It's a slow process, but we're getting there."
With Priceless, Frankie J has set out to conquer even more new worlds, both musically and professionally. Given his track record, don't bet against him.
