Early career
He was born Francisco Javier Bautista (a.k.a. Frankie J.) in Tijuana and raised in San Diego from the age of 2. He comes from a musical background with his father being the lead singer of a traditional band. Frankie J grew up listening to both traditional Latin music as well as R&B. He attended Southwest High School (San Diego, CA) for his high school years.
As a teenager, he started listening to freestyle music by Lisa Lisa, Brenda K. Starr and George Lamond. He started writing his own songs and singing in the same falsetto style as Lamond. At 15, he signed a contract with a Canadian independent label working as Frankie Boy and recorded songs which failed to achieve any success. In 1997, he signed with Jellybean Benitez.
In the late 1990s, he joined Kumbia Kings and was a member of that successful Latin group touring throughout Latin America. The group played in front of 100,000 people in a concert in Monterrey, Mexico.
Frankie's ambitions were always directed to the American pop-music markets. In 2002 He approached Los Kumbia Kings mangement in an attempt to secure record deal as a solo-artist. He proposed that they record, promote, and market him to the "MTV" market. A vastly diffent music culture then what Los Kumbia Kings made their name in, but Management declined, citing the risky investment. Frankie then shopped demos to an array of record companies, and garnered a tremendous amount of interest, but his contract with The Kumbia Kings would prove to be a problem.
Frankie asked to be his released from his Kumbia Kings contract, but they declined. Frankie bolted from the group anyway, but soon found himself in court over the matter. Lawsuits were filed from both sides, and eventually settled out of court. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Solo Career
Frankie J signed as a solo artist with Columbia Records and released his first album What's A Man To Do in 2003 which failed to chart. His self-titled first Spanish-language album was released later in the same year. The single "Don't Wanna Try" peaked in the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart, while "Ya No Eres Igual" was top 10 on the World Latin charts.
He collaborated with Baby Bash, a relative, on another pop hit called "Suga Suga" which reached #1 in New Zealand in 2004 and was a top 10 hit in the US and Australia in the same year. Frankie J worked with a number of wellknown producers on The One including Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. on the title track. Mario Winans on a track called "Just Can't Say It's Love". The first single "Obsession (No Es Amor)" featuring Baby Bash has been a big hit on the US pop charts reaching the top 5 in April 2005. The One was released in the US in April 2005 and debuted at #3 on both the Billboard 200 chart. The follow-up singles "How To Deal" and "More Than Words" (released in conjunction with a DualDisc re-release of The One) continued the album's route to platinum sales. However, the fourth and final single, the title track featuring 3LW garnered few spins at radio.
Jermaine Dupri & Mannie Fresh are among two of the big producers for Frankie's next English studio album which will be released in the 4th quarter of 2006. The untitled album's first single will be "That Girl" which was produced by Mannie Fresh and features both Mannie Fresh and rapper Slim Thug. A version which excludes Slim Thug and replaces him with Chamillionaire exists and can be found online and on the official promo cds.
Frankie J's second Spanish-language album "Un Nuevo Dia" has already been released.
We Still
Frankie J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know that you and I have been through many downs before oh yeah...
But that don't mean the chance
Has gone away to leave each other more
We've struggled and we've fought
To keep us both between the lines oh yeah...
Through many years we've cried our tears
[Chorus]
We still...
Always argue all the time
Never make love when its right
We still...
Never say we love each other
Always up in one another
We still...
Fight for every little thing
Never ever stop to think that we still...Always loved each other
[Verse 2]
I know at times, you'd believe we would never change..oh yeah...
You said we'd never change...
That it was much to overcome
Much of an obstacle to take mmmm
But you were always one
To always think the worst of things yeah...
Yeah...yeah..
So it was always me to take the stand
And take the initiative so you can't say that...
[Chorus]
We still...fight for every little thing
Never ever stop to think that we still
Always loved each other
[Chorus]
In "We Still" by Frankie J, the artist speaks about a relationship that has gone through some tough times. The lyrics describe how the two individuals have had their share of arguments, conflicts, and struggles in keeping their relationship alive. However, despite all of these setbacks, they have managed to stay together, and their love has grown stronger over the years. Frankie J sings about the perseverance and commitment required to maintain a relationship, even when things are not going as smoothly as they should.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, acknowledging the fact that the relationship has undergone many downs. The singer speaks about how, even though they have been through a lot, they should not give up on each other just yet. The couple has fought hard to keep their relationship going, and they should not let go of that effort. The second verse speaks more to the pessimistic attitude of one of the individuals in the relationship. The singer implies that the other person has always been quick to think the worst of the situation and has been less willing to put in the effort needed to make things work. The singer takes the initiative and tries to change the relationship's dynamic, proving that their love was worth fighting for.
Overall, "We Still" by Frankie J delivers a message of hope and perseverance in relationships. It speaks to the idea that love is a journey, not a destination, and that it takes work to make it last. The song encourages listeners to keep fighting for their love and to never lose sight of the fact that both partners always love each other, despite their disagreements.
Line by Line Meaning
I know that you and I have been through many downs before oh yeah...
I understand that you and I have experienced many lows in the past.
But that don't mean the chance
Has gone away to leave each other more
However, that does not indicate that our opportunity to strengthen our bond has vanished.
We've struggled and we've fought
To keep us both between the lines oh yeah...
We've gone through various challenges and battles to maintain our relationship.
Through many years we've cried our tears
And always kept our pride aside...so you can't say that...
Over numerous years, we have cried and set our ego aside to improve our relationship, so you cannot deny that.
We still...
Always argue all the time
Never make love when it's right
Presently, we continue to argue frequently and fail to make love when the timing is appropriate.
We still...
Never say we love each other
Always up in one another
We still do not utter the words 'I love you' and spend too much time with each other.
We still...
Fight for every little thing
Never ever stop to think that we still...
Always loved each other
We still fight for minor things and do not pause to realize that we have always loved each other.
I know at times, you'd believe we would never change..oh yeah...
I acknowledge that there are instances when you believe that we will never change.
You said we'd never change...
That it was much to overcome
Much of an obstacle to take mmmm...
You claimed that we are incapable of change, and that it is difficult to overcome our difficulties.
But you were always one
To always think the worst of things yeah...
You tend to have a negative outlook on things most of the time.
So it was always me to take the stand
And take the initiative so you can't say that...
Therefore, I have constantly taken the initiative and stepped up to make changes, so you cannot deny that.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRANCISCO BAUTISTA, JAMES GALVEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind