Frankie Smith
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Frankie Smith is a funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter.
Smith is a Philadelphia, PA native. 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, Smith popularized a nonsensical form of slang, in which "iz" is placed in the middle of a word (place becomes plizace) or the last letters of a word are replaced with "-izzle" (sure becomes shizzle). The style became part of hip-hop slang, and was popularized by rappers Snoop Dogg (who is often mis-credited for Smith's originality) 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.
Frankie Smith is currently working as a delivery driver for AC Reproductions in Philadelphia, PA.
