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Franklyn Leon Smith (January 29, 1953[1] – March 8, 2019[2]) was an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter. He was best known for his 1981 hit single "Double Dutch Bus".
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2010) |
Frankie Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1953 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. |
| Died | March 8, 2019 (aged 66) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk, disco, old school hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1979–2019 |
| Labels | Paramount Records, WMOT Records, Amstate Records |
Smith went to college in Tennessee for elementary education with a minor in music. He became a writer for funk and soul artists such as the O'Jays and The Spinners. In 1972 he would record for Paramount, releasing a single called "Double Dutch" under the name Franklin Franklin, but it failed to become a hit.[3] He was also influential in the careers of the rappers Tone Loc, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.
With his 1981 single "Double Dutch Bus", released by WMOT Records,[4] Smith popularized a nonsensical form of slang (from his song "Slang thang", 1981 WMOT, Records), in which "iz" is placed in the middle of a word (for example, the word "place" becomes "plizace"), or the last letters of a word are replaced with "-izzle" ("sure" becomes shizzle). A type of infix, it found greater popularity later on in hip hop and rap with its usage by Snoop Dogg.[5]
Smith died in Philadelphia on March 8, 2019.
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Albums
- 1981: Children of Tomorrow
- 2006: Frankie Smith and His World Wide Party Crew
Singles
- 1980: "Double Dutch Bus" (#30, US)
- 1980: "Double Dutch"
- 1981: "The Auction"
- 1981: "Teeny-Bopper Lady"
- 1982: "Double Dutch Bus II"
- 1982: "Yo-Yo Champ (From Mississippi)"
- 1985: "Slapp Ya Thigh"
- 1985: "Congratulations for Graduating"
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