Frank Ocean is an American singer-songwriter and occasional rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. Ocean made an early career as a ghost-writer for artists such as Bridget Kelly and John Legend. In mid 2010 he became a member of OFWGKTA premiering on Domo Genesis’ track, “SteamRoller.” In February 2011, he released his debut mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra to critical acclaim. He released two singles; “Novacane” and “Swim Good.” Both singles achieved chart success. Ocean went on a 7 show tour through North America and Europe promoting the mixtape.

The mixtape caught the interest of recording artists such as Kanye West, Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z, and he appeared on Watch the Throne. He wrote the popular track “Thinking About You” for Bridget Kelly. On January 5, 2012, the BBC announced that he had finished in second place in the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll. Ocean released his debut studio album, released in July of 2012, and also appeared at Coachella 2012.  His record, Channel Orange, sold 131,000 copies it's first week, landing in 2nd place. It was released on iTunes a week early, and Target decided not to carry it for purchase after Frank opened up about his homosexuality.