The Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All star says he needs to come out not just for his sanity and happiness but also to empower others.
- Jul 21, 2012
AceShowbiz - Frank Ocean is relieved that he finally came out of the closet. In an interview with The Guardian, the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All member talks about his open letter for the first time, saying it helped remove the burden on his chest.
"[It's] about my own sanity and my ability to feel like I'm living a life where ... I'm happy when I wake up in the morning, and not with this freakin' boulder on my chest," the "Novacane" rap singer explains his decision to come out.
Though so, Frank says it's not just about him. With his coming out, he hopes to help others. "I wished at 13 there was somebody I looked up to who would have said something like that, who would have been transparent in that way," he says wistfully.
"I knew that I was writing in a way that people would ask questions," he adds. "I knew that my star was rising, and I knew that if I waited I would always have somebody that I respected be able to encourage me to wait longer, to not say it till who knows when."
Of the risk of rising haters against him, he says, "People are just afraid of things too much ... Sure, evil exists, extremism exists. Somebody could commit a hate crime and hurt me. But they could do the same just because I'm black. They could do the same just because I'm American."
Since his coming out, a lot of fellow stars voiced their support for him. Among the latest ones were 50 Cent and Jamie Foxx. "Anyone that has an issue with Frank Ocean is an idiot," Fiddy told MTV U.K. "I think Frank Ocean is a talented artist, I think he's created material that made me know his name, that impressed me, with things he said on a song like 'Novacane'."
Foxx also praised him, "Elton John did it. For Frank Ocean to do it and be hip-hop and black, he's breaking ground, and kudos to him. At the end of the day, his music is for everybody." He continued, "When I heard that he came out, I thought, 'Courageous, hooray for him'. It's just the beginning. I have several friends who live in darkness and live in fear, and it's just time."
