(AllHipHop News) Frank Ocean has been in the news a lot over the last week because of his open critique of the Grammy Awards.
The Odd Future affiliate took issue with what he sees as The Recording Academy’s interest in creating television moments rather than awarding the most deserving artists.
This was partially why Ocean did not submit his Blonde or Endless projects for consideration at this year’s Grammys.
“Winning a TV award doesn’t christen me successful. It took me some time to learn that,” wrote Ocean in a Tumblr post. “I bought all my masters back last year in the prime of my career, that’s successful. Blonde sold a million plus without a label, that’s successful. I am young, black, gifted and independent… that’s my tribute.”
Ocean rarely speaks publicly about his music, but a previously unreleased interview, reportedly from a Blonde/Boys Don’t Cry promotional video, has made its way online.
“I haven’t shied away from expectations. I really try to use it as fuel because people have a positive association of what I do and what I make, and they expect something that’s good,” says the “Nikes” singer. “So, okay, how do you convert that into, I don’t know, just a better moment, a better song, a better album, a better presentation?”
Blonde was Ocean’s first official studio album since his Grammy-winning channel ORANGE in 2012.
He also dropped the “visual album” Endless hours before Blonde premiered on Apple Music last August.
“There’s no fantasy on this record or in any of this music,” Ocean stated. “It’s all – for better or for worse – autobiographical and just like my experience, you know, the foundation of what made me who I am today.”