Just A Few Thoughts: Frank Ocean, Sexual Labels, and the Power of Description
Frank Ocean at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, 2012
Frank Ocean is a dynamic songwriter with a masterful command of imagery, metaphor, and emotion. Beginning his career ghostwriting for other artists, Ocean’s popularity exploded with the self-release of his album Nostalgia/Ultra in early 2011. Frank Ocean is the eldest member of the Odd Future collective, and has collaborated with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyonce and others. His newest album, Channel Orange, will be released July 17.
However, Frank Ocean’s celebrity has exploded in recent days with his recent announcement that his first love was a man. It should be noted that Frank Ocean acknowledged Lil B before making his announcement saying “BasedGod was right“. Thank You Based God (literally this time).
Frank Ocean is the most important artist of my lifetime.
In “Swim Good” he writes about suicide in an honest, yet subtle language that makes the subject eminently accessible.
Awkward Black Girl: A Pioneer in a Digital Renaissance
You can find all the episodes here
Awkward Black Girl is an independent web series that can be streamed on Youtube. It stars Issa Rae and an ensemble cast that uses humor to tackle issues like race, gender, sex, and the cumbersome idiosyncrasies that make life dynamic. Most of all, the show is really funny! The storytelling in the show feels very human, and it adds a comedic vulnerability that richly describes even the simplest of social situations.
It’s refreshing to see independent media that features diverse and multidimensional characters. However, even more interesting than the show’s quality are how the show started and the methods for sustaining it. Issa Rae described the show’s inception in a post on the Huffington Post:
Why I Like Lil B the Based God
Lil B Gives Lecture at NYU
For people who have spent any amount of time with me over the past 6 months or so you all know I love the rap artist “Lil B”. You can catch me in class doing “swag” adlibs, or doing my cooking dance to build my confidence before an oral argument, so it is safe to say that I’m a fan. Lil B or “The Based God” is one of the most unique artists I have ever encountered. The NY Times and NPR have both profiled him.
