Frank Ocean | |
|---|---|
 Ocean in 2022 | |
| Born | Christopher Edwin Breaux October 28, 1987 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
| Organization | Homer |
| Works | |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Odd Future |
| Website | www |
Frank Ocean[2] (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. He has been credited by several music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre.[3][4] Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, among other accolades; two of his albums have been listed on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020).
Ocean began his musical career as a ghostwriter until joining the Los Angeles-based hip hop collective Odd Future in 2010. The year prior, he signed with record producer Tricky Stewart's RedZone Entertainment, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings, although his first mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, was released independently.[5][6] His debut studio album, the eclectic Channel Orange (2012), incorporated elements of R&B and soul music. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album; its lead single, "Thinkin Bout You", was nominated for Record of the Year. He was named by Time as one of the world's most influential people in 2013.
After a four-year hiatus, Ocean released the visual album Endless (2016) to fulfill contractual obligations with Def Jam. His second studio album, Blonde, was released independently the following day. Expanding on Ocean's experimental approach, Blonde was met with critical acclaim, debuted atop the US Billboard 200, and ranked first on Pitchfork's Best Albums of the 2010s Decade list. After 2017, Ocean has released sporadic singles, worked as a photographer for magazines, launched the fashion brand Homer, and started Homer Radio. 15 of Ocean's songs have entered the Billboard Hot 100, while four of his releases (singles or albums) have received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[7]
- ^ "Endless by Frank Ocean on Apple Music". Apple. February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry. "Frank Ocean Legally Changed His Name to Frank Ocean". The Fader. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ "Why Frank Ocean is a musical icon". British GQ. April 24, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Dhaenens, Frederik; De Ridder, Sander (May 2014). "Resistant masculinities in alternative R&B? Understanding Frank Ocean and The Weeknd's representations of gender". European Journal of Cultural Studies. 18 (3). Retrieved August 12, 2020 – via ResearchGate.
- ^ "Tricky Stewart on Frank Ocean and Def Jam Situation: "[They] Created a Monster That They Couldn't Control"". Billboard.com. August 26, 2016.
- ^ Youngs, Ian (January 5, 2012). "Sound of 2012: Frank Ocean". BBC News. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ^ "Frank Ocean | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
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