Frank Ocean Comes Out
The hip hop/R&B world has never been known for it’s openness to homosexuality. From intolerant lyrics to a lack of support on the political scene, the culture has struggled with it’s standing in the matter. More recently, artists have begun to express their support for rights and marriage but it’s a work in progress. Last night, Frank Ocean, a member of the ridiculously popular Odd Future Wolf Gang, and possibly R&B’s most prominent name released a letter he wrote about his first love, who happened to be a man. It’s unclear if he came out as gay or bisexual but that’s not what matters.
No matter your own standing on the issue politically, Frank Ocean deserves a great deal of respect. His bravery, strength, and confidence in his identity are incredibly important to the rap movement and beyond. I hope to see the hip hop world support him and appreciate his willingness to expose himself. You have to feel relieved for one of our generation’s most talented singers after he wrote “I don’t have any secrets anymore.” His album, Channel Orange, comes out July 17th. It’ll be interesting to hear how this revelation carries over to the music.
