To say that Frank Ocean’s decision to come out as a bisexual is a “risky move” would be an understatement. By all previous standards in both American society and the world of black music, it’s pretty much career suicide.
But despite being on the tip of every hipster, hip-hop head and music lover’s tongue and being only a few weeks away from releasing his debut album, Channel Orange, Ocean has now presented himself as the first black mainstream artist to come out of the closet (in a rather poetic and beautiful way).
And though Ocean is walking in uncharted territory for black music, and the odds may be somewhat against him now, there’s hope that he will be embraced by a mainstream audience as well as his musical peers, even those in the historically homophobic world of hip-hop.
Ocean’s already gotten co-signs from some of black music’s greatest stars like Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kanye West, and we think that the list of stars who will embrace Ocean in this new chapter of his career could very well grow.
Check out some of the stars we think will still stand behind Ocean now that he’s come out of the closet. – nicholas robinson
