Frank Ocean Artistfacts

October 28, 1987
Singer-songwriter and rapper Frank Ocean was born Christopher Edwin Breaux in Long Beach, California, but would be raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his recording facility in 2005, he settled in Los Angeles. He joined the area's hip-hop collective Odd Future, founded by Tyler, the Creator.
His stage name was inspired by the 1960 film Ocean's 11 and its star, Frank Sinatra.
He released his debut album, Channel Orange, in 2012, but had already been working successfully in the industry for awhile. He was a ghostwriter for artists like Justin Bieber, Damienn Jones, John Legend and Brandy, and he released the acclaimed mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, in 2011.
He was a guest vocalist on Kayne West and Jay Z's 2011 album Watch the Throne for the tracks "No Church in The Wild" and "Made In America," both of which he also co-wrote.
Ocean's mere presence in the often homophobic hip-hop scene was groundbreaking. He was one of the genre's first artists to admit to a same-sex love affair. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Ocean's 2012 confession was "undoubtedly the glass ceiling moment for music. Especially black music, which has long been in desperate need of a voice like Ocean's to break the layers of homophobia."
Ocean's father, Calvin Cooksey, filed a lawsuit against Def Jam founder Russell Simmons for $142 million. Cooksey left the family when Ocean was 5 years old and was angry that Simmons reported this fact on his website. He claimed the story could result in a loss of income from his job as a "singer, writer, and inventor."
He penned all the songs for his debut album in just three weeks, but he worked on them for nine months - "a typical gestation period," he told GQ.
He legally changed his name from Christopher Breaux to Frank Ocean in April 2015. The singer had initially filed the legal papers in March 2014, but driver's license issues delayed the change for a year.
Ever wondered about Frank Ocean's skincare routine? We haven't, but in case you have here's what the singer shared during an interview with GQ: "My mom told me years ago that you gotta get somebody to stitch the silk inside the lining of the cap so it doesn't irritate your skin, 'cause your skin is sensitive. I didn't listen to my mom, but I really do believe in a night cream."
Frank Ocean has a passion for rock climbing, a hobby that he's been pursuing for years. "I'm not like, a god of rocking climbing or anything, but I do enjoy it," he explained to GayLetter magazine. "The routes are like little problems. I like problem-solving. It's kind of a solo sport if you're bouldering, so you don't need to organize anything to go."
Frank Ocean graduated from John Ehret High School in New Orleans in 2005 but his schooldays weren't easy. "I was expelled and suspended it felt like every five minutes," he recalled to W Magazine.

Ocean added that his behavior changed once he started obsessing with making a career in music. "And that interest fostered a different mentality. I think it was also around the transition to becoming a teenager, and I got really calm."
He began his musical career as a songwriter before he joined Odd Future in 2010. Ocean wrote several tracks for Justin Bieber's debut EP, My World and one tune, "Bigger," made the cut.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)Jay-Z

"I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" by Jay-Z borrows four bars from Notorious B.I.G's "The World Is Filled." Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls attended Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Brooklyn, New York, at the same time.

Yellow LedbetterPearl Jam

Eddie Vedder often changes the words when he sings "Yellow Ledbetter." The basic story is about a guy whose brother dies in the first Gulf War. Apparently, bad news in the army is delivered in yellow envelopes.

I Will Always Love YouDolly Parton

Don't play "I Will Always Love You" at your wedding - Dolly Parton wrote it about leaving someone behind to strike out on her own.

ContagiousThe Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers became the first group to score a Top 50 hit in six consecutive decades when their song "Contagious" peaked at #19 in 2001. Their first entry was their song "Shout" in 1959.

WoodstockCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Joni Mitchell wrote "Woodstock" - the most popular song about the festival - but didn't attend the event because she was booked on The Dick Cavett Show.

No Sleep Till BrooklynBeastie Boys

The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" is a parody of heavy metal music. Kerry King of Slayer played guitar on the track - purposefully out of tune in parts.