Franklin the Boss was a Dominican artist born in 1980 in Santo Domingo who worked in the merengue de calle and tropical traditions, genres that carry the raw, percussive energy of the street into the dance floor. Merengue de calle — street merengue — is a style defined by its driving rhythmic intensity and its connection to the working-class neighborhoods that have always been merengue's most loyal constituency. Franklin the Boss brought that energy to his recordings and performances, connecting with audiences who valued the unpolished vitality that distinguishes merengue de calle from its more commercial counterparts. His death in 2025 marked the loss of a voice from that tradition, and his recordings remain as testimony to the enduring power of Dominican street merengue.