Odd Future R&B crooner Frank Ocean sat down with Complex.com for their “In His Own Words” spotlight. The New Orleans-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter has catapulted himself as the next big thing since the release of his free album nostalgia, Ultra. Born Christopher “Lonny” Breaux, he shared the reasoning behind his name change. “I changed my name on my birthday last year. It was the most empowering sh*t I did in 2010, for sure. I went on LegalZoom and changed my f**king name.”
On the change Ocean adds: “It just felt cool. None of us are our names. If you don’t like your name then change your name. I’m only a few steps into the process, so I probably shouldn’t even be talking about this, but by the beginning of summer I’ll be straight. I’ll be boarding planes as Christopher Francis Ocean.”
In March Ocean released ânostalgia, Ultra,’ one of the most stand out projects of this year; he breaks down the meaning of the title and the artwork of the album. “It’s nostalgic. It’s a longing for the past. That’s what this record felt like. I named it five minutes before we finished mastering. Right before we had to write the labels on the CDs and get out of there. Ultra, because it’s also modern because of the sonics of it. It felt right. That’s how I am. I just go with it. The only big debate was whether I was going to use the slash or the comma, but the comma felt right, too. When I did the artwork after we mastered it, I was feeling the same thing. That’s my dream car. It’s been my dream car for a minute.”
Many have compared the 23-year-old to Drake after listening to one of the standout tracks “Songs For Women.” He shares what Drake felt about the records after hearing it. “Drake reached out to me when the record came out and paid me a compliment about the sound of it. I respect Drake not only as a creative person, but as a business mind as well. I think Drake’s important. The moral of the story is Drake’s ill, and I’m ill.”
He adds: “When I talk about the girl listening to Drake and Trey Songz on “Songs For Women,” that was more in sarcasm, and in jest, than it was in seriousness. I don’t think any person in a serious relationship is threatened by the person on the radio. It’s just a cool detail.”
He also had his gripes with label Def Jam. He went on a rant via his twitter page stating: “I. did. this. not ISLAND DEF JAM. that’s why you see no label logo on the artwork that I DID. guess its my fault for trusting my dumbass lawyer and signing my career over to a failing company. F**k Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. F**k em. now back to my day. i want some oatmeal and toast. brunch swag.”
He gave some background on how his deal manifested. “I signed my paperwork at the end of â09. It was official by January 2010. Outside of the contract and the paperwork, there was no relationship. I never walked through the building. I never had an opportunity to build with them, because of some other sh*t within the company. All I knew was that I was an artist, and I didn’t have a relationship with my label.”
If you haven’t heard Ocean’s project “nostalgia, Ultra,” you can listen to it in our Mixroom here.
Frank Ocean has been a highly sought-after name in the music industry for over a decade. With his mesmerizing vocals and creative lyrics, he’s become one of today’s most successful R&B acts. For many fans, however, there are still some unanswered questions about who Frank is and how he got to where he is now. From his real name change to his infamous fallout with Def Jam Recordings, this article will explore these topics and more as we dive into the world of Frank Ocean.
The first thing that comes to mind when discussing Frank Ocean is nostalgia—his 2012 debut album was an impressive blend of soulful beats and heart-wrenching lyrics that helped shape a generation. His follow up albums Blonde (2016) and Endless (2018) further cemented him as one of the greats, but what else do we know about him? In recent interviews, Frank has opened up about why he changed his name from Christopher Breaux, the Drake comparisons he often receives, and the tumultuous relationship between himself and Def Jam Recordings.
This article seeks to answer all those burning questions surrounding Frank Ocean. We’ll take a look at how far he’s come in such a short amount of time while exploring some of the challenges along the way. Let’s get started!
Biography
Frank Ocean is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as part of the hip-hop collective Odd Future in 2010 and has since become one of the most celebrated acts in contemporary music. His debut studio album Channel Orange earned him six Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, while his follow up Blonde won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2017 Grammys.
Ocean’s career has been marked by both success and controversy: he changed his stage name from Christopher Breaux to Frank Ocean before releasing his first solo mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA; he was dropped from Def Jam Recordings shortly after it was released due to creative differences with label founder Jay Z; more recently he has found himself at odds with fellow rapper Drake over who wrote what on their collaboration “No Church In The Wild”. Despite these various setbacks, Ocean continues to make music that resonates deeply with listeners worldwide—his latest release being Endless (an audiovisual project).
The impact of his work speaks for itself: he is widely considered one of the most influential voices in modern R&B and pop culture today. Whether speaking out on social issues or crafting poignant love songs, every moment of Frank Ocean’s artistry is imbued with emotion and intent.
Career Highlights
As his fame has grown, Ocean has become increasingly comfortable with expressing himself honestly. He proved this when he released an open letter in 2012 revealing that his first love was a man—a move which was unprecedented within the hip-hop and R&B communities at the time. His career since then has been marked by both success and controversy: from being dropped from Def Jam to finding himself at odds with Drake over their collaboration “No Church In The Wild”. Despite these various setbacks, Frank Ocean continues to make music that resonates deeply with listeners worldwide.
One of his most notable career achievements is undoubtedly winning Album of the Year at the 2017 Grammy Awards for Blonde, becoming one of only five black artists ever to do so. This feat speaks volumes about how far he’s come since releasing nostalgia, ULTRA in 2011; fans have watched him progress as a musician while remaining true to who he is as a person. His latest release Endless (an audiovisual project) serves as proof of his continued growth and exploration into new sounds.
Ocean’s artistry is truly something special; every moment imbued with emotion and intent. Regardless of what stage name he chooses or what controversies arise, it’s clear that Frank Ocean will continue creating timeless works for years to come.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Frank Ocean is a truly unique artist who has gone through many changes in order to reach his current success. Through the highs and lows of his career, he has managed to stay true to himself and remain one of the most beloved figures in music today. His songwriting has taken us on an emotional journey from nostalgia to heartache, while his voice and sound have captivated audiences around the world. Furthermore, having experienced both success and failure at Def Jam record label, Frank Ocean has used these experiences as learning lessons for future endeavors. He continues to push boundaries with each new release, proving that no matter what obstacles arise he will continue to be a force in modern music. In short, there’s no one quite like him – which is why we love Frank Ocean so much!
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