Tijuana-born and San Diego-raised contemporary R&B artist
Frankie J was raised on a steady diet of Latin music and American artists like
Michael Jackson and
Run-D.M.C. At the age of 15, he was involved with the Latin freestyle scene and released a series of singles on a Canadian dance label. A 1997 signing with
Jellybean Benitez's Hola label never panned out, but he landed on his feet when he became a member of
los Kumbia Kings. After a few years with the group,
J went solo with 2003's
What's a Man to Do?, a collection of ballad-dominated material that was released on
Columbia.
One (2005),
Un Nuevo Día (2006), and
Priceless (also 2006) followed. After parting ways with
Columbia,
J returned with Courage in 2011. Two years later, he delivered
Faith, Hope y Amor, which included a guest appearance by rapper
Pitbull. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. In 2017,
J paired with
Baby Bash for the full-length collaboration
Sangria. ~ Andy Kellman