Music Review: Frankie J's hip-hop shift

Frankie J, "Priceless (Columbia)

Frankie J leans heavily on Houston's hotbed of hip-hop for his third solo album, "Priceless." Moving away from his usual smooth balladeer songs, the crooner focuses on hard-driving R&B cuts, earning the former Kumbia King a well-deserved gold star.

On the dazzling ditty "Top of The Line," Frankie J welcomes 112's Slim to share his women-deserve-the-world premise: "You'd be top of the line, my model, you don't have to worry about nada/ You're my Gucci, Louis, my Prada." He also recruits a list of rap rousers, including Mannie Fresh and Chamillionaire ("That Girl") and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony staples Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone ("Never Let You Down"), to help to meld the urban-meets-pop tracks. They give the album a harder-edge feel, but there's still plenty of pop left to appeal to audiences who know him from past hits like "Obsession (No Es Amor)."

The album is peppered with guest stars, but Frankie J shines the most when the spotlight is solely on him. The song "If He Can't Be" features Frankie J's falsetto and a cleverly sampled beat from

Billy Idol ballad "Eyes Without A Face" (although the recognizable drum and bass lines overpower the Latin sensation's voice). The title track leaves room for Frankie to thrive, displaying more of his soulful yearnings.

With more hits than misses on "Priceless," Frankie J's value is steadily on the rise.