Frank Ski

Frank Rodriguez,[1] professionally known as Frank Ski (born May 9, 1964), is an American DJ, journalist, philanthropist, radio personality and public forums host. He also was a Baltimore club and house music artist who recorded as solo as well as a part of the group 2 Hyped Brothers & a Dog in the 1990s. From 1998 to 2012, and again from 2017 to January 2019, he was the host of the Frank and Wanda Morning Show alongside co-host Wanda Smith on the Atlanta urban contemporary radio station WVEE. He now hosts another morning show called The Morning Culture alongside Jade Novah and J.R. Jackson.

Frank Ski
Born
Frank Rodriguez

(1964-05-09) May 9, 1964
Harlem, New York
OccupationDJ, journalist, philanthropist, public forums host
Spouse(s)
  • Tanya Rodriguez (1995-2015)
  • Patrice Basanta-Henry, MD (2017)
Children5
Career
Show"Frank and Wanda in the Morning"
Station(s)WVEE (V-103), WHUR (Washington,DC)
CountryUnited States
Websitewww.frankski.com

Biography

Career highlights

In 2002, Reverend Jesse Jackson awarded Ski the title of "Journalist of the Year" by the Rainbow Push Coalition.[2]

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Ski spearheaded a fundraising movement to help the victims.[2] He raised $500,000 to support the causes of the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry and Homeless and Metro Atlanta Respite & Development Services.[3]

Ski hosts the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.[4] The Walk is a partnership between the Trumpet Awards Foundation and the National Park Service and was created in 2004 to give recognition to civil rights leaders who promote justice and equality.[5]

In 2009, he finished second (to Neal Boortz) in an unscientific ajc.com poll for the most obnoxious Atlanta radio personality. Radio & TV Talk with Rodney Ho's poll on whether V-103 should keep Frank Ski (during the time of his contract re-negotiations) was 59% "No". He has recently been criticized for his support of Bishop Eddie Long during his sex scandal, though he now attends another Atlanta church.

Ski had a lengthy career as a radio personality and record producer in the Baltimore radio market and he was one of the pioneers of Baltimore club music at V-103-Baltimore (1988-1996) and at WERQ Baltimore(1996-1998) before moving to Atlanta in 1998. His 1992 track "Whores in this House" gave rise to a local genre that was later sampled by and referenced in hip-hop albums, including "WAP" by Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion, which peaked and debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[6][7][8] He also recorded songs with "Miss Tony," a club-track vocalist who performed as a gay man at hip-hop parties. The first song Ski and Miss Tony recorded together, "Tony's Bitch Track," helped to popularize gay culture and the complexities that exist between gender binaries.[9][10]

Awards and recognition
  • Rainbow Push Coalition, Reverend Jesse Jackson (2002)[2]
  • Georgia March of Dimes, Achievement in Radio Award (A.I.R.)[11]
  • National Urban League, Atlanta Chapter; Distinguished Community Service Award (2007)
  • Ludacris Foundation, Community Service Award, 2008[12]
  • 11 Alive Community Service Award (2009)
  • Mentioned by Uganda Musician Ritah Kigozi in her song "Twandibadewo" (3:23-3:25)

Frank Ski Kids

The Frank Ski Kids Foundation is an Atlanta area organization created by Ski in 2000. Its mission statement is "exposing kids to their future through science, technology, athletics, and the arts".[13]

The foundation hosts a yearly Youth Bowl football competition.[14] It gives young people the opportunity to travel abroad on excursions that support the foundation's science, technology and art programs and organizes a yearly trip to the NASA Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.[15] There have also been excursions to the Galapagos Islands (2007), the Amazon rainforest (2008) and an international artistic enrichment trip to Florence, Italy (2009).

Studio albums
  • Ya Rollin' Doo Doo (with 2 Hyped Brothers & a Dog) (1991)
  • Frank Ski Club Trax (1992)

Singles
  • "Doo Doo Brown" (with 2 Hyped Brothers & a Dog) (1991)
  • "Tony's Bitch Track" (1992)
  • "Whores In This House" (1992)

References
  1. Local Radio Personalities Open Up, MyFoxAtlanta.com Archived April 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Frank Ski, article from Georgia Perimeter College
  3. The Latin American Association, Archived September 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Radio Co-Host Is "Open", Atlanta Woman's Magazine Archived July 19, 2012, at Archive.today
  5. "About the International Civil Rights: Walk of Fame". www.nps.gov. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012.
  6. Sanneh, Kelefa. "The Birth of Baltimore Club". The New Yorker.
  7. "Frank Ski, "There's Some Whores in This House" SPIN". www.spin.com.
  8. Shipley, Al (2020-08-10). "The Story Behind 'WAP's Unforgettable 'There's Some Whores in This House' Sample". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  9. Soderberg, Brandon. "Miss Tony Stands Alone". baltimoresun.com.
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7REpywVBQ
  11. "March of Dimes A.I.R. Award for "Best Original Music or Jingle"". Archived from the original on October 30, 2014.
  12. "Word of Mouf", Ludacris Foundation newsletter, Page 8
  13. "Frank Ski Kids: About Us". Archived from the original on June 20, 2009.
  14. City Newsbytes Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Franklin Commitments for the City of Atlanta
  15. 12/11: Frank Ski’s wine auction Archived February 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Atlanta Journal Constitution's "Access Atlanta" section

Frank Ski Kids videos

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