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Music Urban cowboys

By M. Solis

Current choice - Frankie J & Baby Bash

Frankie J was born Francisco Javier Bautista in Tijuana, Mexico and crossed the U.S. border with his uncle when he was 2 years old. Growing up in San Diego, Frankie J idolized Michael Jackson and would often perform for his family, tossing a sombrero in the air before moonwalking across the living room. By high school, Bautista was heavily into the freestyle music of George Lamond, and his own emerging falsetto landed him a record deal with an indie Canadian dance label. After graduation he headed to Texas and, as part of A.B. Quintanilla's Kumbia Kings, played to audiences that sometimes numbered 100,000.

Franke J

But Frankie always saw his true musical metier as R&B-inspired pop. Influenced by acts such as Usher and Brian McKnight, Frankie eventually decided to go solo and his 2003 debut, What's A Man To Do?, connected with the TRL crowd. That same year he teamed up with Houston rapper Baby Bash for the hit single "Suga Suga," which spent 25 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and 20 weeks on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. The song ultimately reached a combined audience of more than 80 million listeners and pushed Bash's 2004 debut Tha Smokin' Nephew to double-platinum status.

Frankie J & Baby Bash
with
Natalie

8pm
Sun, June 19
$24 (advance);
$27 (day of show)

Sunset Station
1174 E. Commerce
222-9481

The pair is currently touring behind their sophomore albums, Frankie J's The One and Bash's Super Saucy, which have already yielded another international smash in "Obsession (No Es Amor)." A syrupy remake of bachata group Aventura's original hit, the song has crossed geographical and genre borders and is a flagship for the burgeoning - if inappropriately labeled - Hurban (Hispanic/Urban) radio movement. With relatively little hype, the Latino combo of Frankie J and Bash has created a pair of albums that posit a new role for post-movimiento musicians while making hits that cats like the dysfunctional duo of Jay-Z and R. Kelly have to envy. •

— M. Solis

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Tags: Music Etc., Music, music features