Franklyn Leon "Frankie" Smith (born 1953, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter. He is best known for his 1981 single "Double Dutch Bus".
History[]
He 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. He has also been influential in the careers of the rappers Tone Lōc, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.
With his 1981 single "Double Dutch Bus", released by WMOT Records,[1] 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" (ex. sure becomes shizzle). The style became part of hip-hop slang, and was popularized by rappers Snoop Dogg and E-40. The style today holds a place in popular slang.
"Double Dutch Bus" itself has been sampled frequently in hip-hop, including Snoop Dogg's "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name, Pt. 2)" and Missy Elliott's "Gossip Folks". Both records were produced by Timbaland. His single "Double Dutch Bus" is also featured in the 2008 Disney movie College Road Trip starring Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symoné.
A native Philadelphian, Smith once applied to be a bus driver for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which operates Philadelphia's public transit system, but SEPTA turned him down. The "Transpass" referred to by Smith in "Double Dutch Bus" is an actual monthly fare pass issued by SEPTA.
Discography[]
Albums[]
- 1981: Children of Tomorrow
Singles[]
- 1980: "Double Dutch Bus"
- 1981: "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"