Free Republic

Since 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, here are examples of rappers from Diddy to Lil Wayne embracing Ol' Blue Eyes.Over the years, rappers have proudly embraced Frank Sinatra for his style, smooth catalogue, complicated life and gangsta ties. From his defiant 1938 mug shot, Sinatra embraced his Italian-American heritage as he ran around Hollywood with a pre-Rat Pack group known as the Varsity. Interestingly enough, Sinatra was also an activist during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He gave financial support to Martin Luther King Jr. and refused to play in segregated clubs or...

“Frank is just like you. Just like me. Only bigger.” — George Schlatter, a friend Let’s get one thing straight. There can’t be another Frank. These days, you don’t operate on that plane and get away with it. Was he in the Mob? Was he an informer? Did he ruin Ava Gardner, sleep with Marilyn, throw a plate against a restaurant wall just because they cooked the pasta too long? Come on, al dente! Act like that today and you’d be TMZ’d faster than you can tweet Alec Baldwin. But that’s just behavior. Flip on your TV and you’ll understand...