Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean is an acclaimed Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for his influential contributions to contemporary music, particularly through his albums *Channel Orange* (2012) and *Blonde* (2016). Born Christopher "Lonny" Breaux on October 28, 1987, in Long Beach, California, he was raised primarily in New Orleans, where he developed a deep appreciation for jazz and R&B. Ocean began his music career writing for artists like John Legend and Justin Bieber before gaining recognition as a solo artist. He first garnered attention with his critically acclaimed mixtape *Nostalgia, Ultra*, which he released in 2011.
Ocean's work is characterized by its genre-blending style and introspective lyrics, earning him a reputation as a major innovator in soul and R&B. His albums have received widespread acclaim, with *Blonde* debuting at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. In addition to his music career, Ocean has pursued other ventures, including launching an independent luxury accessory brand called Homer. He has also been recognized for his openness about his sexuality, which has resonated with both the hip-hop and LGBT communities. Ocean's impact on music and culture continues to be significant, as evidenced by his inclusion in prestigious lists like Time’s "100 Most Influential People" and Rolling Stone’s "500 Best Albums of All Time."
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Subject Terms
Frank Ocean
Singer-songwriter
- Born: October 28, 1987
- Place of Birth: Long Beach, California
Contribution: Frank Ocean is a Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter best known for his albums Channel Orange (2012) and Blonde (2016) as well as his numerous high-profile collaborations with artists such as Beyoncé and John Mayer.
Background
Frank Ocean was born Christopher “Lonny” Breaux on October 28, 1987, in Long Beach, California. He was raised by his mother, Katonya Breaux Riley, and his maternal grandfather, Lionel, after his father abandoned the family when he was six. He and his mother moved from California to New Orleans, Louisiana, when he was five years old. Ocean grew up immersed in the jazz traditions of that city and loved listening to his mother’s collection of pop and R & B music. At the age of thirteen, he started working odd jobs to earn enough money to rent recording time at a nearby studio.
As a teenager, Ocean attended John Ehret High School before enrolling at the University of New Orleans to study English in 2005. That same year, Hurricane Katrina destroyed significant portions of the city, and the studio where Ocean had been working was looted and heavily damaged. He briefly transferred to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he was able to continue his studies, but he was no longer recording music. When a friend offered him discounted studio time in Los Angeles, he drove out to California, intending to stay only for several weeks.
Once in Los Angeles, Ocean worked as an insurance claims processer, among other temporary jobs, but made significant contacts in the music industry. When he met a producer at a friend’s party, he landed a songwriting deal and began cowriting songs for a number of major artists, including “Quickly” for John Legend (Oct. 2008), “Bigger” for Justin Bieber (Nov. 2009), and “1st and Love” for Brandy (Dec. 2008).
Career
By the end of 2008, Ocean was making enough money to focus on his music career full time. Despite his success as a songwriter, Ocean continued to pursue a recording career as a solo artist. In 2009, he joined the Los Angeles–based hip-hop collective Odd Future, where he met Tyler the Creator, a fellow artist who was instrumental in encouraging him to write music for himself. Ocean was signed to record label Def Jam in December 2009 and legally changed his name to Christopher Francis Ocean in 2010, citing Frank Sinatra and Ocean’s 11 as the inspirations for his new name.
By February 2011, Ocean was frustrated that Def Jam had not done more to promote and support him, so he self-released a mixtape album, with both original music and heavy sampling of existing tracks. Titled Nostalgia, Ultra, the album was released as a free download on Ocean’s Tumblr account. The album received widespread critical acclaim and was ranked among the best albums of 2011 by Rolling Stone, NPR, and Time magazine, among others. Shortly after his album’s release, Ocean recorded a song with Jay-Z and Kanye West for their 2011 album Watch the Throne; the song “No Church in the Wild” won the 2012 Grammy Award for best rap/sung collaboration. Ocean continued to undertake such high-profile collaborations, cowriting the song “I Miss You” with Beyoncé Knowles for her 2011 album 4.
Also in 2011, Ocean began writing and recording songs for his next solo project. The album, Channel Orange, was released in July 2012 to rave reviews, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and selling 131,000 copies in its first week. Several well-known artists appeared on the album, with John Mayer, Tyler the Creator, and André 3000 featured on several tracks. Channel Orange earned a Grammy nomination for album of the year and won the Grammy Award for best urban contemporary album. The album’s lead single, “Thinkin bout You,” received a Grammy nomination for record of the year. Ocean also received the BRIT Award for best international male artist in 2013. In July 2013, Ocean was forced to cancel several stops on a world tour after he suffered a vocal cord injury.
In August 2016, Ocean released a video album, Endless, on Apple Music just one day before the release of his second album, Blonde, which had suffered several delays due to Ocean’s contract disputes with Def Jam. The album was his first to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart and was named an AllMusic Year in Review Favorite R&B Album for 2016. Ocean subsequently left the label. The following year, he was featured on Calvin Harris’s hit single, “Slide,” with Migos that reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 9 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart.
In addition to recording, Ocean hosts an Apple Music 1 (previously known as Beats 1) radio program titled blonded RADIO, on which he plays his own new tracks, remixes of previous releases, and tracks by other musicians. In 2021, he launched Homer, his independent luxury accessory brand. In 2024, Ocean released a photo of himself back in a music studio, raising hopes among fans that he may be recording new music.
Impact
Ocean has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has won two. He is considered by many to be a major innovator in contemporary soul and R & B, and his music often defies simple genre categorizations. In 2013, Ocean was named to the “Time 100,” Time magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people. He was also featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2017. In September 2020, two of Ocean's albums made the Rolling Stone 500 Best Albums of All Time list for the first time, with Blonde debuting at number 79 and Channel Orange at 148. The two albums remained on the list in 2021.
Personal Life
In 2012, Ocean revealed on Tumblr that his first romantic relationship was with another man, prompting declarations of support from the hip-hop and LGBT communities. In 2013, the Webby Awards named Ocean person of the year for “showing a deep understanding of the Internet as a communicative tool for social change.”
Bibliography
Kellman, Andy. "Frank Ocean." All Music, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/frank-ocean-mn0002592086. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
Noz, Andrew. “Frank Ocean: Smart and Subtle R & B Songwriting.” Rev. of Nostalgia, Ultra, by Frank Ocean. NPR Music, 21 Apr. 2011, www.npr.org/2011/06/10/135514908/frank-ocean-smart-and-subtle-r-b-songwriting. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
Ocean, Frank. “Creating His Own Gravity.” Interview by Jon Caramanica. The New York Times, 4 July 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/arts/music/frank-oceans-channel-orange.html. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
Ocean, Frank. “Frank Ocean Can Fly.” Interview by Jeff Himmelman. The New York Times, 7 Feb. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/frank-ocean-can-fly.html. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Ocean, Frank. “Ocean-ography.” Interview by Amy Wallace. Hypebeast, 12 Nov. 2012, hypebeast.com/2012/11/ocean-ography-an-interview-with-frank-ocean. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo. “Frank Ocean Has a Cold.” Spin, 17 Apr. 2012, www.spin.com/2012/04/frank-ocean-has-cold/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.