Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His early works are credited by some music critics for pioneering the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist among other accolades, and his two studio albums have been listed on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020).
Frank Ocean | |
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Ocean in 2021 | |
Born | Christopher Edwin Breaux October 28, 1987 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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Years active | 2005–present |
Organization | Homer |
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Awards | Full list |
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Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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Formerly of | Odd Future |
Website | www |
Ocean began his musical career as a ghostwriter, prior to joining the hip hop collective Odd Future in 2010. The following year, he released his first mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, and subsequently secured a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. His first studio album, the eclectic Channel Orange (2012), incorporated R&B and soul styles. At the 2013 Grammy Awards, Channel Orange was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album; one of its singles, "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 a visual album titled Endless in 2016 to fulfill contractual obligations with Def Jam. Ocean self-released his second studio album, Blonde, a day after Endless's release. Blonde expanded on Ocean's experimental musical approach and ranked first on Pitchfork's list of the best albums of the 2010s decade. It was his first number-one album on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). From 2017 onwards, Ocean has released sporadic singles, worked as a photographer for magazines, launched the fashion brand Homer, and started Homer Radio. Ocean has charted 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 over the course of his career.