frank ocean:

Heralded as a breath of fresh air, Frank Ocean quickly took music's mainstream consciousness by storm with the release of his breakthrough mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra. Fitting to his aversion of being classified into a specific genre, he broke free from the politics of the major label system (previously signed to Def Jam), and released his LP via Tumblr & Twitter.

Listeners responded to his eclectic talent, counting "Novacane" as its most unlikely R&B hit. In it, he cites meeting his inamorata cute at Coachella: "I went to see Jigga/ She went to see Z-trip/ Perfect."

Also known as Christopher "Lonny" Breaux, Ocean worked as a songwriter for the likes of Justin Beiber and John Legend before joining the hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All in 2011. Culminating with his sold-out headlining performance at El Rey Theater on November 15, Ocean's cool dimeanor was on perfect display with his stage presentation, consisting of a single Persian rug in an otherwise bare stage.

Standing alone in a conservative coat and tie, he crooned through a set that ranged from most of Nostalgia, Ultra, his songwriting contributions to Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch The Throne album (“No Church In The Wild”), and the introduction of a fresh
new track, “Super Rich Kids”.

Reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest's first arrival in an otherwise stale genre, Frank Ocean offers something different in a world where his male R&B counterparts are defined by their generic and mindless sexy anthems. His answer? "I feel more like some type of visual artist than a musician when I'm working. I just mean my process is more about imagery. To be honest, I don't think much about it." With his innate appetite for creativity, and boundless energy, it’s no wonder that Beyoncé and Brandy both have Ocean in the studio working on their upcoming projects. Similarly, we can't wait to see what he is in store for us next.