Frank Ocean Analysis

1143 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Homosexuality in today's society

Christopher Edwin Breaux, later Christopher Francis Ocean, and more formally known as, Frank Ocean, is one of the most inspiring artists of this generation. Frank Ocean speaks of many controversial social and cultural issues through his music and writings. Most artists are afraid to incorporate these issues into their music due to fear of backlash from their audience. Some issues in particular that Frank addresses are homosexuality and racism. Both of which are extremely eminent in today’s society, being real issues in that the majority of our population have to unfortunately experience. However, Frank does a superb job as an artist with a large platform, to address them and make people aware. Frank Ocean is an African-American male who grew …show more content…

One example of this is in Frank’s earlier work from his first album, Nostalgia, Ultra in 2011. A specific line that supports the LGBTQ community is, “I believe that marriage isn’t between a man and woman, but, between love and love.” (Frank Ocean, “We All Try”, 2011). 2011 was a time where, I believe, homophobia was at it’s peak. Ocean was able to express that it is perfectly normal to love who you love and to not listen to those telling you that same-sex marriage is wrong. Another outlet that Frank uses to get his thoughts out is the website Tumblr. He spoke out on behalf of the horrific shooting in Orlando at Pulse Nightclub which was a hate crime toward the LGBTQ community in his blog. He states, “I daydream on the idea that maybe all this barbarism and all these transgressions against ourselves is an equal and opposite reaction to something better happening in this world, some great swelling wave of openness and wakefulness out here.” (Ocean, 2016). Frank cleverly uses his words to create imagery for his audience to picture a world without hate. The theme of his writing was about how homophobia is still present in today’s society but, that he still hopeful for a better future. Atlantic Magazine published an article that analyzed Ocean’s response to the Pulse Nightclub shooting. They incorporated what others reactions were to Frank’s response, into the article. “One user confessed to never having had gay friends because, they now realize, society has trained them to avoid gay people.” (Kornhaber, 2016). This just goes to show how people feel about homosexuality. Our society HAS taught people how to feel about things and I think that it is time people become their own person and feel what they want to feel. I believe that Frank Ocean uses his voice in a positive manner to make his audience more aware of everything that is going on

Show More
Related

  • Can Gays And Straights Be Friends Summary

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    " That he speaks of homosexuals and heterosexuals is secondary to his idea that all men deserve to live openly, which involves expressing emotions. Men expressing themselves emotionally can be seen in plenty of other places. If one listens to the radio, they are bound to hear a number of songs about sex, and probably an equal number about love or other emotions. All sung by males. The same is true of other mediums of pop culture, such as movies and television.

    Read More

  • Rap Music Analysis: Oceans By J. Carter

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sean “Jay Z” Carter is considered among many in the world of Hip Hop as one of the most influential lyricist in the history of the rap music genre. He is known for his elaborate use of references to history’s most prominent figures, his rags to riches legacy and his life of wealth and fame. Despite Sean Carter’s success, he constantly pays homage to the journey that has brought him to where he stands today. In 2013, he released his twelfth studio album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail”, which contained the song “Oceans” featuring singer/songwriter and grammy award winner Frank Ocean. The song takes on a recollective scene of Jay Z and Frank Ocean sailing on a yacht across the Atlantic, celebrating their accomplishments, while retrospectively looking

    Read More

  • Independence Day: Harvey Fierstein

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... homosexual being felt in the world around the 1970’s and 1980’s. The time period in which this play was written was one of great dissonance to the LGBT movement. For Harvey Fierstein to be so bold and public with his own lifestyle was truly admirable and brave. Fierstein shows us that ignorance can destroy a life because of what is unknown.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Tupac Shakur

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    This shows that this is him and who he really is. People following his beliefs because he treated people equally and judged people equally. This is a big difference from him and other hip-hop artists.

    Read More

  • Racial Identity In Hip Hop Culture In 'Blacking Up'

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    Vanilla Ice is a prime example of a young man who became part of the hip hop community. The clothing he wore and the songs he wrote may have reflected an insult to the black hip hop community. However, the white community became happy and excited to see a thriving white rapper. Many members of the black society were offended and disgusted by the clothes worn by Vanilla Ice. They were not used to seeing another race expressing his emotion through rap lyrics. The change in the state of mind for black and white members of the hip hop community were beginning to alter. It was remarkable to learn about the different perspectives black and white members, however to learn about the acceptance of one another was outstanding.

    Read More

  • Macklemore Hip Hop Lyrics Analysis

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    “If I was gay / I would think hip-hop hates me / Have you read the YouTube comments lately? / ‘Man that's gay’ / Gets dropped on the daily / We've become so numb to what we're sayin.'” In these few lines, Macklemore brings up the fact that the genre of hip-hop has become one that is “anti-gay.” Hip-hop is a very common genre of music and it reaches a large population of people, mostly young people who will have an effect in the future of America. This is Macklemore’s target audience: the general public who can make a difference.  Macklemore has surprised many by coming out with this popular, pro-gay, hip-hop song. It is rational to see that he took a stand against the issue as well as a risk in his career by supporting this idea. The listeners understand that those lines are very truthful; the hip-hop genre and most of society has become anti-gay. Almost all of his audience is familiar with YouTube and can understand where Macklemore is coming from in these lines. Most of his audience has seen comments on YouTube similar to “Man that’s gay.” Macklemore is bringing attention to the fact that his audience has become numb to harsh words like so and the general public has lost a sentimental feeling. Macklemore goes on to give an example of the desensitizing of society by giving the reference to “faggots”, “a word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores

    Read More

  • How Is Rap Music Harmful To African American Communities

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of Williams main topics of concerns is the wrong messages that “public airwaves” are sending to their listeners and followers. Williams claims rap and other medias are representing and sending the wrong message about African American communities. She mentions that rap music once held a positive message but now rap music is bombarding the public with the use of profanity, violence, and obscenity throughout their lyrics and music

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Peculiar Benefits By Roxane Gay

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gay begins her article by first mentioning how her parents took her on an unexpected trip which educated her for the future. Since Gay was a child when she witnessed all the poverty and uncleanliness of the

    Read More

  • Rap Music Affects Children's Cognitive Development

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is not only inappropriate but sexist. According to the article by “debate.org”, in many songs the male singers talk about having many girls. They often talk of what they would do to them and etcetera. One of the most impacting songs yet, is Eminem’s song “KIM”. In this song, he cusses many times, calling his cheating wife inappropriate words. He tells her to either be quiet, or he will beat her until she can’t anymore. In this song, he speaks of killing her, watching her bleed to death while she screams out for help. THIS is what our youth is listening to. My opponents would say that rap music does not affect youth. As stated in the article by Word Generation, “Still others say that rap is a form of creative expression- this generation’s poetry.” However, the “poetry” they say is being “expressed” is not talking about things that contribute to a person and somehow helps them in their daily lives. As stated by the “debate.org” article, these songs’ lyrics are often meaningless, and simply don’t make sense. This shows that since all rap is contributing to society is aggression, usage of woman, smoking, prostitution, killing, and dropping out of school, what is really the point of this

    Read More

  • Racial Stereotypes Associated With Rap and Hip Hop Music

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    A race issue that occurs within the rap and hip-hop musical genre is the racial stereotypes associated with the musical form. According to Brandt, and Viki rap music and hip- hop music are known for fomenting crime violence, and the continuing formation of negative perceptions revolving around the African-American race (p.362). Many individuals believe that rap and hip-hop music and the culture that forms it is the particular reason for the degradation of the African-American community and the stereotypes that surround that specific ethnic group. An example is a two thousand and seven song produced by artist Nas entitled the N-word. The particular title of the song sparked major debates within not only the African-American community thus the Caucasian communities as well. Debates included topics such as the significance and worth of freedom of speech compared with the need to take a stand against messages that denigrate African-Americans. This specific label turned into an outrage and came to the point where conservative white individuals stood in front of the record label expressing their feelings. These individuals made a point that it is because artists like Nas that there is an increase in gang and street violence within communities. Rap and hip-hop music only depicts a simple-minded image of black men as sex crazed, criminals, or “gangsters”. As said above, community concerns have arisen over time over the use of the N-word, or the fact that many rappers vocalize about white superiority and privilege. Of course rap music did not develop these specific stereotypes, however these stereotypes are being used; and quite successfully in rap and hip-hop which spreads them and keeps the idea that people of color are lazy, all crimin...

    Read More

  • Stuart Hall's What Is This Black In Black Popular Culture?

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Kendrick entered the stage shackled to his black comrades with a soulful saxophone playing in the background, it is obvious that the imagery of imprisonment was a commentary on incarceration in America and its similarities with slavery. By amplifying this modern twist on slavery, Kendrick provokes American viewers to reflect on the struggles that black Americans still go through today. At the start of his performance he goes on to rap “I’m African-American — I’m African” as if he was correcting himself. This isn’t surprising as black identity is hard to establish in a country that implicitly detests you, but explicitly fetishizes your culture. Stuart Hall discusses this in his text when he states, “’the primitive is a modern problem, a crisis in cultural identity’…the modernist construction of primitivism, the fetishistic recognition and disavowal of the primitive difference” (Hall 125). There is no wonder why Kendrick, like many African-Americans, finds comfort in placing his identity with the mother land rather than his true country of origin. How can the black multitude stand in solidarity with a country who will continuously praise black culture but refuse to recognize the black struggle? Kendrick Lamar then conjures imagery of Africa, where he danced and rapped in front of a raging bonfire, one of the most powerful imagery included in his entire performance. One can interpret

    Read More

  • Drake Characteristics

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    Drake is a multiplatinum Grammy award winning hip hop rap artist. He is also one of the first hip hop rap artist whose lyrical context does not fit the norms of the hip hop genre. Not only does his lyrics break the hip hop norms, but he is also the only hip hop rap artist that also sings on every single one of his albums. Drake is not only one of hip hop’s biggest icons, but he is also the first true hip hop non-conformist. A true non-conformist is someone who is not afraid to challenge the status quo and refuses to conform to the established expectations, and that is exactly what Drake has done. Although hip hop music normally consist of money, violence, drugs, degrading women, and the life in the poor inner cities, Drake has still been

    Read More

  • Reggae Icons, Jamaican Culture, and Homophobia

    2273 Words  | 5 Pages

    In conclusion the deeply rooted homophobia that is mistakably reflected in Banton’s lyrics and that, more importantly, pervades the Jamaican society, is a very controversial issue. Not only is there the question of whether Banton is correct because he is singing about his culture but despite the fact that he is expressing his beliefs does he have any right to threaten the lives of human beings.

    Read More

  • Homosexuality in Same Love by Macklemore with Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Right away Macklemore establishes his credibility and knowledge, ethos, by stating, "When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay, 'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight" (Haggerty, Lewis, Lambert, 2102). With such a forceful statement, he shows that he can relate to this issue, which gives him the credibility that people look for in such an important topic. By speaking of personal experience, this gives the audience a closer look into his life and may feel a connection that many people might need to relate and understand the lyrics or topic of the song. With the song beginning with an anecdote about Macklemore as a third grader fearing he was gay brings a great sense of the ethos appeal. This directly illustrates society’s corruption of an innocent child’s mind with the fear of being gay and believing that being gay would be a fault. This opening anecdot...

    Read More

  • Gay Rights Movement

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    Have you ever thought how much progress the LGBT community has made and how it affects other people? The gay rights movement was and is currently a movement that “strives to end all discrimination towards the LGBT community” (Redlingshafer). As early as 1924, the Society for Human Rights in Chicago becomes United States’ earliest known gay rights organization (“Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement”). However, most people recognize the Stonewall riot in 1969 as being the beginning of the gay rights movement. Almost ninety years later, society and the government have progressed over time and are still growing. Harvey Milk, author of “The Hope Speech”, was a politician who led a portion of the gay rights movement. Also, a more recent and well known leader of the movement is Dan Savage, the creator of the “It Gets Better Project”. The followers of the gay rights movement are not just homosexual. There are followers and supporters of every gender, race, and sexual orientation. The gay rights movement and its issues are represented in “The Hope Speech” by Harvey Milk.

    Read More

More about Frank Ocean Analysis

Open Document