Frank Ocean has been hailed as one of the first ever mainstream hip hop artists to come out as bi-sexual or gay.
The Odd Future member, a protege of Kanye West, confessed in a blog post that his "first love" was a man.
"4 summers ago, I met somebody," the 24-year-old wrote.
"I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together.
"By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love, it changed my life."
Ocean went on to talk about his struggles coming to terms with his sexuality.
The confession has been hailed as a breakthrough for the hip hop community, with Ocean believed to be one of the first mainstream artists to come out of the closet.
The co-founder of Def Jam records Russell Simmons wrote a blog post supporting Ocean's decision.
"Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we?" he wrote.
"I am profoundly moved by the courage and honesty of Frank Ocean. Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear. These types of secrets should not matter anymore.
"His gifts are undeniable. His talent, enormous. His bravery, incredible. ... Frank, we thank you. We support you. We love you."
Fellow Odd Future member Tyler The Creator tweeted: "My big brother finally f---ing did that. Proud of that n---a cause I know that s--t is difficult or whatever".
The blog post comes after a recent review of Ocean's upcoming album Orange Channel "outed" Ocean.
"On the songs 'Bad Religion' 'Pink Matter' and 'Forrest Gump' you can hear him sing about being in love and there are quite obvious words used like 'him' and not 'her'," the review said.
NInemsn
The Odd Future member, a protege of Kanye West, confessed in a blog post that his "first love" was a man.
"4 summers ago, I met somebody," the 24-year-old wrote.
"I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together.
"By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love, it changed my life."
Ocean went on to talk about his struggles coming to terms with his sexuality.
The confession has been hailed as a breakthrough for the hip hop community, with Ocean believed to be one of the first mainstream artists to come out of the closet.
The co-founder of Def Jam records Russell Simmons wrote a blog post supporting Ocean's decision.
"Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we?" he wrote.
"I am profoundly moved by the courage and honesty of Frank Ocean. Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear. These types of secrets should not matter anymore.
"His gifts are undeniable. His talent, enormous. His bravery, incredible. ... Frank, we thank you. We support you. We love you."
Fellow Odd Future member Tyler The Creator tweeted: "My big brother finally f---ing did that. Proud of that n---a cause I know that s--t is difficult or whatever".
The blog post comes after a recent review of Ocean's upcoming album Orange Channel "outed" Ocean.
"On the songs 'Bad Religion' 'Pink Matter' and 'Forrest Gump' you can hear him sing about being in love and there are quite obvious words used like 'him' and not 'her'," the review said.
NInemsn
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