The Love Letter That Shook Hip-Hop
Even as rap has grown more tolerant, it’s shied away from talking directly about same-sex relationships—and love in general. That’s why Frank Ocean’s coming-out note is important.
The letter entitled “Thank You’s” released by R&B singer Frank Ocean earlier this week will not be forgotten. In it, Ocean reveals that he has been with and cared for both men and women, and that his first love was a man. It is not the entertainment industry standard “I’m gay” or “I’m bisexual” announcement; it can’t be snipped into a sound bite or contained in a headline on the front of tabloid. The letter is alive. It sucks the air out of the room when you read it. And as hip-hop journalist Dream Hampton writes, “it is about love.” That focus on love—perhaps more than the revelations it contains—is why it’s radical.
In her reply to Ocean, posted at Jay-Z's Life and Times
