Frank Ocean

Singer-songwriter Frank Ocean captured the attention of the R&B and hip-hop community with his extraordinary Nostalgia, Ultra (2011) mixtape and Channel Orange (2012) debut album, both of which established him as an innovative and forward-thinking talent in both genres. He rose to attention in 2009 as a member of the controversial Odd Future collective, contributing vocals to albums and songs by Tyler, the Creator, among others, before self-releasing Nostalgia, Ultra. Its candid, confessional lyrics and eclectic instrumentation won praise from critics and fellow performers alike, ushering Ocean to the forefront of the hip-hop scene where he collaborated with the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye West, among others. His studio debut, Channel Orange, generated headlines for its sensitive content, some of which addressed a sexual relationship with another man which Ocean later detailed in a message to his fans. The self-avowed bisexual earned widespread respect for the statement, which only seemed to increase his popularity among hip-hop listeners seeking a fresh alternative to the boastful, materialistic work dominating the charts. Although business issues delayed Ocean's follow-ip to his groundbreaking debut, the near-simultaneous appearance of the "visual album" and the more traditional release blond, which shared no content, in August 2016 showed that he remained a powerful musical force. Ocean's unique perspective on R&B, as well as his forthright honesty, minted him as an extraordinary talent with a potentially stellar future.