Rising R&B star Frank Ocean has been making waves with his inventive and refreshingly honest lyrics, and undeniably catch new sound. His latest album channel Orange has been given rave reviews by music blogs and critics everywhere, and the 24-year-old New Orleans-native is steadily climbing the charts and set to become R&B’s hottest new face. Find out more about him in his Kidzworld Bio!
Louisiana Lonny
Christopher “Lonny” Breaux (who we know as Frank Ocean) was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and was heavily influenced by the local jazz scene. To fuel his interest in music he listened to artists like Anita Baker and as a teenager he would perform odd jobs like mowing lawns, washing cars and walking dogs in order to rent studio time. He also attended the University of New Orleans. In 2005 tragedy struck, Hurricane Katrina wrought havoc in his hometown and Frank’s recording studio was destroyed by flood water and looters. He decided it was time to pack up his things and try his luck in Los Angeles.
Frank’s “Odd” Future
Frank had only planned to stay in L.A. for six weeks, but once he became acquainted with the music industry there he extended his stay and quickly landed a songwriting deal. He’s written songs for big stars like Justin Bieber, John Legend, Brandy and Beyonce. But Frank wasn’t content to simply write for other people and when he met Odd Future, an L.A.-based hip hop collective, he knew he had found likeminded individuals who would push him in the right direction.
Especially up-and-coming rapper Tyler the Creator, who has also received critical praise and built and underground fan base with his boundary-pushing lyrics and sound. Tyler spurred Frank on to write even better songs and Frank was then signed to Def Jam Records. In 2010 he legally changed his name to Christopher Frank Williams Ocean, partly inspired by the original ‘60s film Ocean’s 11, and decided to release tracks under the name Frank Ocean.
"There was a point where I was composing for other people, and it might have been comfy to continue to do that and enjoy that income stream and the anonymity. But that's not why I moved away from school and away from family."
Nostalgia, Ultra and channel ORANGE
In 2011 Frank released his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra to immediate critical acclaim and began to build a dedicated fan base. His first live performance was with Odd Future at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Def Jam now plans to re-release Nostalgia, Ultra as an EP. Creating buzz in the industry Frank was invited to collaborate with Kanye West and Jay Z on their album Watch the Throne.
Frank Ocean’s album channel ORANGE was released one week early on July 10th 2012 and is now available for download on iTunes, you can also preview it on his Tumblr page. He recently performed the track “Bad Religion” from the new album on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Check out “Sweet Life” from channel ORANGE below!
Have Your Say
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