It is so often that today, we describe those that are our models or who do amazing things as heroes. However, what is a hero? What makes a hero? To me, a hero is someone who works hard and genuinely towards their dreams and is able to stay true to their goals despite the obstacles and pressures that may come.
In my freshman year of highschool, I was just a scrawny little kid in the gym. I was always scared of the big upperclassmen and self conscious of how I looked, however Frank Ocean helped me grow. His relatable music allowed me to feel connected and understanding of his journey to where he is now. He inspired me through his persistence and resilience to create his own art in his own unique style through music.
https://youtu.be/qjyv5gKMn84?t=21
The fourteenth song of the album, White Ferrari, which has slow, deep, sad, melodic tunes and lyrics of reminiscing into the past.
Frank is looking back into the experiences of his teenage years and realizes that despite all that has happened, he could not have known better. In this one line, he is showing that he is slowly moving on but still feels sadness over past events. It almost described exactly how I felt on the last day of high school looking back on all the memories I have made, sweet and sour, while recognizing that I was finally moving on to college. Frank Ocean pours his own emotions into his album. He describes these emotions so well that his listeners are able to connect and relate to it.
The music industry is one typically dominated by artists battling for that number one spot on the billboards. However, Frank Ocean was not like these artists and he struggled in finding his own definition of success.
Frank Ocean learned that “Winning a TV award doesn’t christen me successful.[…] Blonde sold a million plus without a label, that’s successful. I am young, black, gifted and independent.. that’s my tribute”(frankocean).
Frank Ocean persisted on his art and finally found his success in his own art, not some random TV award that was handed to him. He took the time to really create a piece of work that he would be able to be proud of, not just some one hit wonder. However, through his journey, he even had to struggle to claim his own work.
Prince claims that “Record contracts are just like […] slavery”(Kreps) and advises many young artists against signing into one, something that Frank Ocean did. After the release of his first mixtape, Frank to Twitter to voice his frustrations against his record company. He insists that “[he].did. this. not ISLAND DEF JAM. that’s why you see no label logo on the artwork that [HE] DID. […] f**k Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. fuck em. now back to [his] day. [He wants] some oatmeal and toast. brunch swag”(Hernandez) His switch from his frustrations about Def Jam to his dilemma on what breakfast to eat shows the resilience he has to focus on himself and what he loves doing whether it be his own music or his daily life. He won’t let big contracting companies such as Def Jam limit his artistic abilities.
References:
frankocean. “Blond.” Frank Ocean, n.d. http://frankocean.tumblr.com/post/149244794781. Web. 1 December 2017.
frankocean. “Ok Ken (and David). As much I hate…” Frank Ocean, n.d. http://frankocean.tumblr.com/post/157125310721/ok-ken-and-david-as-much-as-i-hate-to-make-you. Web. 2 December 2017.
Hernandez, Victoria. “Frank Ocean Released ‘Blonde’ Independently After Fulfilling Def Jam Contract With ‘Endless.’” HipHopDX, HipHopDX, 24 Aug. 2016.
Kreps, Daniel. “Prince Warns Young Artists: Record Contracts Are ‘Slavery’.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2015.
JetPackGuy. “Frank Ocean- White Ferrari (w/lyrics).” YouTube, 20 Sep. 2017. Web. 1 December 2017.
Sodomsky, Sam. “Frank Ocean Slams Grammys in Angry Tumblr Post.” Frank Ocean Slams Grammys in Angry Tumblr Post | Pitchfork, Condé Nast, 11 Feb. 2017.