Frankee
Nicole Francine Aiello (born June 9, 1983), known by her stage name Frankee, is an American R&B singer-songwriter. She grew up with her parents, Matthew and Francine, and her two siblings, elder brother Matthew Jr. and younger sister Monique. Nicole was given the nickname "Frankee", which is derived from her middle name (and is also her grandfather's nickname).[1]
Frankee | |
---|---|
Birth name | Nicole Francine Aiello |
Born | Staten Island, New York, U.S. | June 9, 1983
Genres | R&B, hip hop, soul |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Years active | 2003–2006 |
Labels | Big Management Marro Records |
Career
Frankee's upbringing in Staten Island, New York consisted of singing in her church choir, while she attended Bernstein Intermediate School and St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School. Frankee made a name for herself as a local entertainer, performing in clubs and at a random assortment of venues. She also took voice and dance lessons in Manhattan.[1] After high school, Frankee won a full scholarship to The University of Tampa in Florida, to study insurance brokering. She left after one year to concentrate on her musical career. She moved back to New York City and recorded demos.
In early 2004, before I could start work on a debut album, I became the subject of media attention because of the song "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon. I then released an answer song, "F.U.R.B. (Fuck You Right Back)", with the same musical arrangement as Eamon's song.
— Frankee
"F.U.R.B. (Fuck You Right Back)" topped the charts in the United Kingdom in May 2004,[2] and Australia in June 2004. While Eamon initially said that he selected Frankee to record the song at an audition, he later stated that his only involvement was in clearing the use of the music with the following statement:
"I was not involved with 'F.U.R.B.' I have never met Frankee and she is definitely not my girlfriend or ex-girlfriend. The only way I was associated with it was when I was asked for licensing permission by Frankee's representatives, which makes me a writer on her song by copyright law. But I really didn't expect all this to come out of it, they are having fun with it, it's cool but in the end they are paying me for their 15 minutes of fame and I welcome her to my world of Ho-Wop!"[3][4]
— Eamon
Her first album, The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, included contributions from Makeba Riddick (who later co-wrote five songs on Beyoncé's B'Day album) and Andre Deyo (who co-wrote "Jenny from the Block"), with production by The Trackmasters and Rich Harrison. Frankee stated she chose this album title "because it explores the full spectrum of relationships". After touring America following the album's release, Frankee embarked on two UK tours and a German tour in the summer of 2004. Meanwhile, her second single, "How You Do", was released.[1]
After leaving Marro Records in 2006, she signed with Big Management[5] immediately afterwards to record a new album.[6] A single, "Watch Me", was released as a digital download in 2006.[7] This song failed to chart, and Frankee was dropped from Big Entertainment.
Later, she worked as a model.[8]
Discography
Albums
- 2004: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
- 2006: Watch Me (shelved)
References
- "Nicole – Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 212. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- "Eamon Distances Himself From Frankee Track, Welcomes Her To Ho-Wop World". MTV News. March 12, 2004. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- Casey, Gavin (November 24, 2015). "12 Years On, We Reflect On The Feud Which Shook The World Of Music To Its Core". The Sliced Pan. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- "Frankee – Watch Me download on Yahoo! Music – which shows record label". yahoo.com. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- "Frankee's official Myspace which features 4 songs from her album in the audio player". music.yahoo.com. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- "Frankee – Watch Me CD Single on the iTunes Store" itunes.com. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- Woodward, Ellie. "You'll Never Guess What These '00s Stars Are Doing Now". BuzzFeed. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- Dutch Charts – Frankee Chart discography in various countries