CONCRETELOOP.COM

Meet Frank Ocean. A member of the indie hip hop collective Odd Future, the 23-year-old Frank Ocean is taking matters into his own hands and releasing his street LP, Nostalgia/Ultra.

It might come as a bit of a shock, considering the music that fans have heard Ocean produce with Odd Future, however, when listening to the LP, it’s clear as to why this body of work has caught the attention of several industry heavyweights, as well as landed him a deal with Island Def Jam. Nostalgia/Ultra is definitely a departure from the group’s material, but Frank’s solo project is an amazing fusion of pop, alternative, down beat electronica and soul.

For those new to him, Frank sums himself up pretty easily:

“My name is Frank Ocean. I grew up in New Orleans. I’m from Odd Future. I wrote Nostalgia/Ultra in spring 2010. I think I have Synesthesia. I feel more like some type of visual artist than a musician when I’m working. I just mean my process is more about imagery. Maybe people wanna call it a certain genre because I’m a black guy singing. I don’t really mind. To be honest, I don’t think much about it. I categorize it in iTunes as Bluegrass or Death Metal usually. I’m pretty sure I have Synesthesia though. I also wear a Kippah from time to time. I smoke Marijuana for anxiety. Oh, and I used to battle-rap in highschool.”