Frank Ocean Posts Open Letter About Orlando Shooting

Published: Tuesday 21st Jun 2016 by Sam
frank-ocean-orlando-thatgrapejuice

With the world still digesting the tragedy that was Omar Mateen‘s slaughtering of 50 LGBT revellers at Orlando‘s Pulse Night Club, singer Frank Ocean has weighed-in on the incident –  and much more.

As widely reported, the ‘Pink Matter’ crooner shocked the world when he “came out” in 2012  ahead of the release of his debut album ‘Channel Orange.’ Though the singer didn’t specify labels, he did confirm that he had indeed fallen in love with a man.

The move, which remains virtually unheard of in the Black music sphere, earned Ocean the respect of many and generated fresh conversation about inclusion and acceptance.

In the time since, he’s remained a relative recluse and largely avoided the glare and flare of the spotlight as he works diligently on sophomore set ‘Big Boys Don’t Cry.’

Yet, clearly moved by mass murder and its wider context, the 28-year-old broke the silence with potent commentary that pulled from his own personal experiences.

His words after the jump…

Via Frank Ocean:

“I read in the paper that my brothers are being thrown from rooftops blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs for violating sharia law. I heard the crowds stone these fallen men if they move after they hit the ground. I heard it’s in the name of God. I heard my pastor speak for God too, quoting scripture from his book. Words like abomination popped off my skin like hot grease as he went on to describe a lake of fire that God wanted me in. I heard on the news that the aftermath of a hate crime left piles of bodies on a dance floor this month. I heard the gunman feigned dead among all the people he killed. I heard the news say he was one of us.

I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a ****** as he dragged me out a neighborhood diner saying we wouldn’t be served because she was dirty. That was the last afternoon I saw my father and the first time I heard that word, I think, although it wouldn’t shock me if it wasn’t.

Many hate us and wish we didn’t exist. Many are annoyed by our wanting to be married like everyone else or use the correct restroom like everyone else. Many don’t see anything wrong with passing down the same old values that send thousands of kids into suicidal depression each year. So we say pride and we express love for who and what we are. Because who else will in earnest?

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. Reality by comparison looks grey, as in neither black nor white but also bleak.

We are all God’s children, I heard. I left my siblings out of it and spoke with my maker directly and I think he sounds a lot like myself. If I being myself were more awesome at being detached from my own story in a way I being myself never could be. I wanna know what others hear, I’m scared to know but I wanna know what everyone hears when they talk to God.

Do the insane hear the voice distorted? Do the indoctrinated hear another voice entirely?

Powerful.

Your thoughts?

Posted under:

Comments 38

Please Post Your Comments & Reviews

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. LISA LEVINE June 21, 2016

    where has this OVER-RATED SISSY BEEN?

    • Greg June 21, 2016

      Sissy lol?
      #predictable

      • LISA LEVINE June 21, 2016

        GIRLLLLLLL, YOU KNOW THAT CD WAS OVERRATED AND THOSE VOCALS ARE AVERAGE.

  2. Weezy Tha Goat/ Zayn is ? June 21, 2016

    This is nice and all, but any updates on the album? Sam Smith and Troye Sivan are slowly filling that gap, Frank you need to come thru before people stop caring.

  3. The Thot You’ll Never Be June 21, 2016

    This guy had potential especially after Bey worked with him in 2011…. but now I just don’t see it

    • Nahh June 21, 2016

      No shade …….. Frank work with many more people than bey lol

    • Patrick Warren June 22, 2016

      Frank worked with Bey…. Bey didnt work with him. Get it straight.

      If they made the pasta sauce from scratch and u just boiled the pasta… we dont say its ur pasta dish girrrrrrl

  4. The Thot You’ll Never Be June 21, 2016

    Molly birch this applies to your homophobic asz

  5. #JACKIE June 21, 2016

    Forgot about him.

    • The Thot You’ll Never Be June 21, 2016

      And by “him” , you mean Ciara or Frank
      .
      Bey more specific Thot, cause we forgot about both

      • #JACKIE June 21, 2016

        Predictable.

      • The Thot You’ll Never Be June 21, 2016

        You running away from questions? yep totally predictable

      • #JACKIE June 21, 2016

        No, your weak, typical shade is predictable. Btw, stop hiding behind a troll account. State your feelings under your real username f*****,

      • The Thot You’ll Never Be June 21, 2016

        K sis now calling me a troll is way too predictable even for you
        .
        Do better ho3
        .
        not you calling me weak when your 2 replies were you indirectly running away from a possible scalping….. I MEAN
        .
        June 21, 2016 at 7:04 am
        #JACKIE says:
        Predictable.
        .
        June 21, 2016 at 7:35 am
        #JACKIE says:
        No, your weak, typical
        shade is predictable.
        Btw, stop hiding behind
        a troll account. State
        your feelings under
        your real username
        f*****,

      • #JACKIE June 21, 2016

        Do better, Career Ender/RihGayvy whichever f** you are. Find a hobby that doesn’t involve stalking me boo boo.

  6. 10 years and pregnant June 21, 2016

    If my baby turns out to be a heshe, then I will definitely throw it from a rooftop while it’s blindfolded

    • Greg June 21, 2016

      Maybe for the best if that happens. At least then maybe the baby will get reincarnated with a good parent.
      #suchawaste

    • Sean June 21, 2016

      That’s your ticket straight to hell

    • Jochicago June 21, 2016

      Too bad your mother didn’t feel the same way when you were born. One less homophobic bigot.

    • ThaDon June 21, 2016

      You are disgusting. Too bad your mother didn’t swallow your stupid ass. I pray your children grow old and lock your pathetic ass away somewhere to rot and die alone.

  7. Dev June 21, 2016

    The words are nice Frank, they go hand in hand with the ones about Prince, the Paris attacks and Donald Trump
    but you are also a black man, and with all of your new found fame i haven’t (unless i missed) seen any letters written to those black men that have fallen by the hands of the police or others from inside or outside the black community.
    I also wait on the words that explain the miss justice and sentencing of those black men and women compared to their counterparts, and the inspiring words.
    The last i had heard Frank had not defined his sexuality but stated that he had had a relationship with a man.
    Whichever path Frank decides to choose regarding his love life he will alway be black and should maybe think about highlighting some of those issues.

    • Thando June 21, 2016

      Who are you to prescribe to him what issue should be important to him? What is it that qualifies the #BlackLivesMatter movement as a superior tragedy than the one he has experiences as a BLACK male lgbtqi member? There’s no hierarchy of morality. What have YOU done for the Black community? What’s worse, being gay or black? I don’t know, but I’ve never heard anyone tell me that I should pray my Black away. My parents have never told me to stop watching that BET that’s what makes you think your black, its that soulTrain.

      • Dev June 21, 2016

        Well, I didn’t prescribe anything. If you read correctly you would’ve seen that i mention that he spoke a Prince and Donald Trump.
        Also, there isn’t any reason why he couldn’t speaking on all subjects, thats my point.
        You think blacklivesmatter is a superior movement! lol, okay.

    • Queen Brit Brit June 21, 2016

      LOLOLOLOLOL!! B*tch whut???? This is the problem with our generation, yall looking to celebrities to be your voice. Chile boo. Frank doesn’t have to say sh*t about anything. No where is it written that celebrities must also endorse every social justice cause that is some how connected to them. You want a voice, go find your own

      • Dev June 21, 2016

        No one is looking for celebrated to do anything but bring further awareness or as platform.
        I have my own voice but i don’t have the platform for it to be heard on a wider scale.

  8. Kev June 21, 2016

    I heard he’s being topped by Calvin Harris. I heard Frank put it on Calvin, Taylor found out, which is why she dumped him. So much drama lol.

  9. Bitchpleaseeeeeee June 21, 2016

    Me think an album is dropping soon after this???

    • What Now June 21, 2016

      I’m damn sure hoping so

  10. MUSICHEAD June 21, 2016

    Great letter! Not a fan of his music but always a fan of his writing.

  11. Thando June 21, 2016

    As always, the crackpots who comment on here have missed the point of the post. Double tragedy.

  12. The Legend Called Missy Elliott June 21, 2016

    Meanwhile a “POP” star is still silent about it. Seeing that a decent amount of her fans are members of the LGBTQ community, she is basically saying eff yo life but buy my new struggle bars song. ??

    • What Now June 21, 2016

      KIII Too much shade.

  13. Queen Brit Brit June 21, 2016

    A beautiful letter tbh

  14. IG : @mixedboy June 21, 2016

    Kudos to Frank. I commend him for speaking out about issues HE wants to speak on. I truly wish our black community could let go of the gay thing and just LOVE!

  15. Juan1n4Mil1i0n June 21, 2016

    I think it’s a beautiful letter. Very powerful indeed.

  16. Danzou June 21, 2016

    His new album is called BOYS dont cry noy no f****** BIG boys dont cry lol sam is such a queen.

  17. Reddish tran ivy blokz Need UK timely Ukuyi June 21, 2016

    Nice

  18. Larry Jordan June 22, 2016

    Well Mr. Ocean,
    You wanted to hear. I fear if you ever needed to know the utterings of a reprobate mind heres the place and time. Some want to kill their unborn child… some want to hear your next reprise altho they don’t seem to recognize that you are the art not the other way round. Some want to remake God forged in fear not love. Some don’t have lives they just extras. Some think s** evaluates worth. Most are like air but pollution to earth. Here’s my encouragement to you. One day the shoe will be on the other foot. But i think you already knew. They that judge condemn themselves. All the hatred comes from within. Maybe drilled into the heads of the sinners makes them feel like the harder they desire the greater their reward in heaven. Who knew hell was a greater reward? I chose love. Like Jesus said. Love your neighbor as yourself. And i guess they all just did.
    Kwiz Jordan
    N2win41@ymail.com

Recommended Posts
..**