Frank Ocean

Background information
Birth name Christopher Edwin Breaux
Born October 28, 1987 (age 29)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres R&B
Occupation(s)
Singer songwriter[1] rapper[2][3][4] record producer
Instruments
Vocals keyboards guitar
Years active 2005–present
Labels
Def Jam[5] Island Boys Don't Cry
Associated acts
Odd Future Tyler, The Creator André 3000 Kanye West James Blake John Mayer Pharrell Williams Jay Z Beyoncé Earl Sweatshirt Malay Om'Mas Keith
Website boysdontcry.co

Personal life
On his birthday in 2010, he changed his name to Christopher Francis Ocean through a legal website.[18] The change was reportedly partly inspired by the 1960 film Ocean's 11.[24] In November 2014, TMZ revealed that the name change has not been legalized.[6] On April 23, 2015, Ocean successfully changed his legal name to Frank Ocean.[89]

Ocean wrote an open letter, initially intended for the liner notes on Channel Orange, that preemptively addressed speculation about his attraction in the past to another man.[90] Instead, on July 4, 2012, he published an open letter on his Tumblr blog[91][92] recounting unrequited feelings he had for another young man when he was 19 years old, citing it as his first true love.[91] He used the blog to thank the man for his influence, and also thanked his mother and other friends, saying "I don't know what happens now, and that's alrite. I don't have any secrets I need kept anymore...I feel like a free man."[93]

Numerous celebrities publicly voiced their support for Ocean following his announcement, including Beyoncé and Jay Z.[94][95] Members of the hip hop industry generally responded positively to the announcement.[96] Tyler, The Creator also tweeted his support for Ocean, along with other members of OFWGKTA.[97] Russell Simmons, a business magnate in the hip hop industry, wrote a congratulatory article in Global Grind saying "Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we? [...] Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear."[98]

In June 2016, following the Orlando gay nightclub shooting that killed 49 people, Ocean published an essay expressing his sadness and frustration regarding the event.[99] He mentions his first experience with homophobia was with his father when he was 6 and how many people pass on their hateful ideals to the next generation which sends thousands of people down the path of suicidal tendencies.[99] In 2017, Ocean's father sued him for $14.5 million over the homophobia claim.[100]