Did everyone have a happy Independence Day? We sure as hell did, because we got to take ONE WHOLE DAY OFF! Yes, even me, the dirty, pinko, commie Canadian got to take the day off. BOOM! Independence Day! Anyway, fittingly enough, yesterday Frank Ocean from Odd Future Records announced his own form of independence by coming out of the closet, either as bisexual or gay, which pretty much marks the first time a mainstream rap artist has come out during his career. This is kind of a BFD. MTV reports:
After Odd Future crooner Frank Ocean posted a heartfelt letter on his Tumblr Wednesday morning detailing his past relationship with a man, the “Novacane” singer earned props from a few of his peers. One of the first to back Ocean up was Odd Future major domo Tyler, the Creator, who offered support in his own unique, irreverent way. “My big brother finally f—ing did that,” tweeted Tyler on Wednesday. “Proud of that n—a cause I know that sh– is difficult or whatever. Anyway. I’m a toilet.”
Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons also hailed the brave action by Ocean to discuss his same-sex first love in light of the history of latent homophobia in hip-hop. In a post entitled “The Courage of Frank Ocean Just Changed the Game!” Simmons wrote, “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? I am profoundly moved by the courage and honesty of Frank Ocean. Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear. These types of secrets should not matter anymore, but we know they do.”
So basically, one of the most talented performers from one of the most respected groups right now just came out of the closet and so far the response has generally been positive? I think this is what is known in certain circles as a huge win. Yay acceptance and talent!