Frankee Bio - Biography

Name Frankee
Height
Naionality
Date of Birth June 9, 1983
Place of Birth Staten Island, New York
Famous for
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Or perhaps a better analogy would be, "Don't get mad--get even!" Whatever the catchphrase that applies, what can't be denied is its stunning effect. Upon first hearing the out-and-out dis song by fellow Staten Island native and former beau Eamon, "F--k It", 20-year old Frankee responded the only way she knew how: With the pen, paper and microphone. The resulting worldwide smash, "F.U.R.B. (F U Right Back)," sees the usually sweet and demure Frankee not only setting the record straight with a stinging return burst of lyrical gunfire, but in the process showing the world what an awesome talent she really is.
In fact, don't let her first single fool you. Long before Frankee felt compelled to record "F.U.R.B.," she had been generating quite an industry buzz--so much so, in fact, that heavyweight producers such as the Trackmasters (Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child, R. Kelly) and Grammy-winner Rich Harrison (Beyonce's "Crazy In Love," Amerie) along with noted songwriters Makeba (Janet Jackson, B2K, Jennifer Lopez) and Andre Deyo (J.Lo, Monica) had signed up to be down with the soulfully voiced alto.

Titling her debut release The Good, The Bad, The Ugly ("because it explores the full spectrum of relationships"), Frankee has crafted together a stellar collection of songs, many of which belie her tenders years.

"Not all the songs are autobiographical," she states. "Some are written about things I saw going on around me with my friends, and then others were brought to the table by the great writers I've been working with. The most important thing is that the material had to be great and that the songs needed an authenticity, a believability about them. I'm a 20-year old living in New York, so I'm bound to have seen and been through some stuff, just because New Yorkers generally are exposed to a lot. But ultimately I think it's an album that can appeal to a huge cross-section--white, black, Latin, whatever. It's definitely urban/pop/R&B with a huge crossover potential. I feel blessed just to be able to work with the people I'm working with. I mean, let's face it, if anyone knows a thing or two about hit records, it's people like Makeba, the Trackmasters, Rich Harrison. Sometimes when I'm in the studio with them, I still have to pinch myself!"

Frankee began honing her craft in church at the age of 6in Staten Island's close-knit community. School choirs soon followed, and before long the then-teenage protégé was studying voice in Manhattan with renowned singer and vocal producer Danny Madden while taking dance at the Broadway Dance Center. She received a full scholarship to the University Of Tampa, but left after only one year to return to New York to pursue her musical career.

"It's not a move I'd recommend to everyone," she says honestly, "but I knew New York was where I had to be. I'd already established a great rapport with various producers, so it killed me to have to stop that in the middle and move to Florida."

Her instincts proved correct. By the time her demos had made made the rounds, several offers were on the table. However, due to the political instability several of the major labels were undergoing, Frankee wisely opted to sign with an indie, Marro Records, that had major-label distribution. "I think choosing that route has allowed me to avoid a lot of the red tape and politics that I know other artists on majors are going through," she explains. "It's meant that I've been able to focus on the music and recording the album and receive hands-on attention. It's really the best of both worlds."

In an album full of highlights, instant standout tracks include the breezy summertime groove of "How U Do," the infectious "Who The Hell Are You," and emotive "I’m Leaving."

"I've been working at this for a long time," Frankee says, "so I've learned not to believe the hype and get my hopes up too high, because so much in the music industry is out of an artist's hands. All I can do is record the best songs I can and do it to the best of my ability and try to make an album that I would want to play over and over again myself. Something I'm really proud of. I think I've achieved that. I mean I love this record! Sometimes I play it and forget it's me I'm listening to, and I'm thinking, 'Wow, this is a really great song.' If this was someone else's album, I'd definitely have it in my collection!"

Frankee Photos

Frankee Wallpapers