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Frank Ocean

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Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean, (born Christopher Breaux in Long Beach, CA but moved to [and raised in] New Orleans when he was five) first broke into the music scene as a member of  the rap-collevtice (and my generation's answer to Wu Tang) Odd Future. Ocean was in college when Hurricane Katrina hit, and with his whole world underwater, he moved to L.A. to pursue music, this is where he would meet the band (Odd Future) that would make him a household name. Ocean made his solo debut with "Novacane." Everyone may know him from singing the chorus from the Jay-Z and Kanye song, "No Church In The Wild," but this artist has much more to offer. The singer/songwriter signed to Def Jam records, and after the label kept stalling on releasing his album, he released it himself on his tumblr page, which is still his direct communication line to his fans. 2011 saw the release of his mix-tape (and first album) nostalgia, ULTRA as a free download. In 2012, he released his major-label debut Channel Orange, easily one of the best albums of the 21st century. The music is lush and mysterious. Evoking the moody soul romantic's influences- like the downcast smolder of the 1970's-era Sly Stone or the inner visions that Stevie Wonder was having around the same time. Highlights like "Thinking Bout You" (and the live version from SNL with an amazing solo from John Mayer)  and "Super Rich Kids" are timeless tracks that could have been released in any era and still resonated with the world. In 2016, Frank surprise-released Endless, his final record with Def Jam, via a black-and-white live video stream (or "visual album") and the next day he self-released Blonde, an album that blurred boundaries between soul, hip-hop, electronica, and indie rock. That album's lead single "Nikes" proved Frank was into messing with vocal effects, yet the vulnerability is still there. It was a timely reminder that Ocean blossoms fully when he has complete creative control. Since Blonde, Ocean has kept busy making appearances in other people's songs and albums, whether on his old bandmate's (from Odd Future [Tyler, The Creator's] Flower Boy album or the summer-anthem Calvin Harris and Migos featuring song "Slide." He has also released a good amount of singles under his name. Those singles Frank has released since his last album are: "Chanel," "Provider," "Biking," an updated cover of the song "Moon River," "DHL," and "In My Room," while this year [2020] saw the release of "Dear April" and "Cayendo." I would be selling Mr. Ocean short if I didn't mention his work within the LGBTQ+ community and breaking down barriers within the rap community. Although he has never outwardly labeled his sexuality, Frank become one of the first black artists to address his queerness openly. Ocean broke new ground for masculinity in R&B, writing gender-fluid lyrics and singing in a gently insistent falsetto with hope. Ya' gotta' give it up for anyone breaking new ground and being a voice for those who are often voiceless or over-shadowed by mainstream beliefs. There you have it, a man in motion.
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Frank Ocean

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