ENTERTAINMENT
From Issue #21
FRANKIE J
By Linda Nguyen
Frankie J knows exactly what fame and success tastes like.
He was with the multi-platinum Mexican-American group,
Kumbia Kings for four years before he went solo with his
album What’s A Man To Do? in 2003. The first single off
that album, Don’t Wanna Try was a smash hit and on heavy
rotation on all the music channels.
After his recent chart-topping collaboration with rapper
Baby Bash on Suga Suga, and two years after his solo album, Frankie J is finally releasing a second, The One and
is nervous about taking more control of his sound. “I was
very nervous. You get this weird feeling in your gut. You
don’t know how people will accept (a new album). It’s a big
turn from the first album.” But with big industry names like
Mariah Carey, K-Ci & JoJo, Mario Winans and Irv Gotti
producing this album, it’s clear he has nothing to worry
about. “Being able to work with some big names, they bring
you to a different light and they are used to producing big.
(It’s) pushed me into a whole different level and allowed me
to catch up with other artists doing their thing.”
Frankie J’s own thing is about leading the current Latin and
R&B movement. "R&B music has always been in my heart,"
Frankie says. "People would always doubt me and say,
'You're Mexican, you don't have the soul to make it.' But
soul is just soul, whatever the ethnic background. I think
the music speaks for itself."
Frankie J photo courtesy of Sony Music Photo by Jonathan Mannion
