Frankie J, the Tejano R&B artist began his music career as a member of the successful Latin group Kumbia Kings. Destined to succeed on his own, he pursued a solo career sparking major attention with the release of his debut single “Don’t Wanna Try” in 2003. Collaborating with Baby Bash on his Top Ten hit rack “Suga, Suga” and releasing the hit single “Obsession (No Es Amor) launched Frankie J into further prominence. Born Francisco Javier Bautista on December 14, 1980 in Tijuana, Mexico, he moved to San Diego, California when he was two years old. Growing up he
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listened to both Latin music and R&B and later developed a freestyle fascination in his teenage years idolizing Lisa Lisa, Brenda K Starr and, George Lamond. He eventually became a freestyle artist known as “Frankie Boy” for Ventura Records at the age of fifteen delivering the ineffective singles “She’s Leaving” and “My Precious Love”. In 1999 he joined the Kumbia Kings and eventually asked to end his contract in 2002. His request led to a lawsuit which was ultimately settled out of court.
Signed to Columbia Records, Frankie J issued his debut album What’s a Man to Do? in 2003. A few months later he released his first solo Latin album, Frankie J, which peaked in the Top Twenty on the Latin Pop chart. The One followed in 2005 debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 chart generating the popular singles “
Obsession (No Es Amor)”, “How to Deal”, and “
More Than Words”. His second Latin release Un Nuevo Dia appeared in April 2006 peaking at number nine on the Top Latin Albums chart with the popular single “Pensando En Ti”. Priceless, his up and coming English album which features producers Jermaine Dupri and Mannie Fresh, is expected to be released October 17, 2006. The lead single off of the album is “
That Girl” featuring rapper Chamillionaire.
