Frank Ocean, born Christopher Edwin Breaux and also known as Christopher Francis Ocean, is an American singer and songwriter from Long Beach, California. He is associated with R&B, soul and hip-hop, and is a member of the Los Angeles collective OFWGKTA, also known as Odd Future.

Early life and career beginnings

Ocean is evacuated from the University of New Orleans to Los Angeles during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remains there to pursue music. He joins OFWGKTA at the end of 2009 after meeting members through mutual friends. In 2010, he changes his name by legal website from Christopher “Lonny” Breaux to Christopher Francis Ocean.

Mixtape and early releases

In 2011, he releases his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, independently through Tumblr. The release leads to singles including Novacane and Swim Good, which appear on Def Jam shortly afterwards. He also builds a stronger relationship with Def Jam after the mixtape’s release.

Albums and later work

Ocean’s first major studio album, Channel Orange, is released in 2012. In 2016, he releases the visual album Endless alongside his second studio album Blonde. Blonde reaches number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Writing and collaborations

Ocean writes songs for other artists, including Justin Bieber, John Legend, Brandy and Beyoncé. He also appears on songs by Calvin Harris, A&AP Mob and Tyler, the Creator. In 2017, he releases singles including Chanel and Lens through his Blonded Radio show.

Style and affiliations

His music is described as soulful and R&B-influenced, with a distinctive approach that also connects to wider hip-hop contexts through OFWGKTA. He is part of the collective’s touring activity in 2011, joining his bandmates on tour for the first time that May.