brittanyluongo
Singer-songwriter, Frank Ocean, took to his Tumblr account earlier this week to share a very personal experience with all of his fans. He admitted,
Four summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I’d see him, and his smile. I’d hear his conversation and his silence …until it was time to sleep. Sleep I would often share with him. By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless.”
If you’ve been keeping up with twitter, gossip magazines, or music blogs, you’ve probably already heard the news. Frank Ocean‘s sexual declaration has been a main topic of discussion for music fans worldwide. Personally, his letter had me in tears. To me, it was a brave act, one that showed immense courage. It was a giant step for someone who is as influential as he is, to come out within the hip-hop community, where homosexuality is highly discriminated against. To lay yourself fully out there, bare all, and tell the world what has been burning away at you for years, takes balls. Serious balls. It should be applauded, rewarded, praised. But, surprisingly enough, the amount of hate I’ve witnessed as a result of this letter is literally breathtaking. To think that people are still this hung up about same-gender relationships. It’s the 21st century, and people are threatening to boycott this man’s music because of the way that he loves?
Frank‘s association with OFWGKTA could have only made coming out that much more difficult, seeing as frontman Tyler, The Creator is no stranger to homophobic slurs. However, Tyler had nothing but twitter support for his fellow collaborator, gleaming: “My big brother finally f—ing did that. Proud of that n—a cause I know that sh– is difficult or whatever. Anyway. I’m a toilet.”
This was a major career move on Frank‘s part. One that may initially have negative backlash, but moreover will ultimately have a positive impact on the hip-hop culture. There’s an entire subculture of artists who hide from their true sexuality due to this “stigma” that is commonly highlighted in fellow artist’s music lyrics. If everyone was less concerned with the opinions’ of others and more comfortable with being themselves, we’d be living in a more accepting world. As for anyone who feels that this was a stupid move on Frank‘s part, or share any of the homophobic views that his music should be “removed from their iTunes”, I encourage you to do so. If someone’s sexuality is keeping you from supporting their talent, you shouldn’t have the privilege to access their music.
That being said, here is another great song from Frank Ocean off his latest album, Channel Orange, set to drop on July 17th, titled “Sweet Life”:
