"Wiseman" | |
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Song by Frank Ocean | |
Released | December 23, 2012Tumblr) | (
Length | 3:51 |
Songwriter(s) | Christopher Breaux |
"Wiseman" (also known as "Wise Man" or "WiseMan") is an unreleased song by the American R&B singer Frank Ocean. The song was written in 2012 for the movie Django Unchained, but was cut. Ocean later posted the song on his Tumblr page on December 23, 2012. "Wiseman" was later featured in the 2015 film Southpaw. The track gained notoriety in 2023 after Ocean performed a punk rock version of it at the Coachella music festival. That same year, the Canadian rapper Drake featured a prominent vocal sample of "Wiseman" on his song "Virginia Beach".
On "Wiseman", Ocean presents his thoughts on the deep emotional effects of slavery, commenting on its relationship to family and personal strength and reflecting upon the struggle of slaves throughout American history. The track features guitars and violins evocative of Western film soundtracks. "Wiseman" was met with positive reception from critics, who praised the song's lyrics and themes.