Frank Ocean gives first interview in years, talks reclusiveness, Grammys and Def Jam

Months after releasing visual album ‘Endless’ and digital album ‘Blonde’, Frank Ocean has given his first interview for years. The R&B star has been reclusive, only giving a couple of quotes to CSPAN at a White House dinner earlier this year.

He spoke to The New York Times’ Jon Caramanica in an extensive interview about his elusiveness, his decision not to submit music to the Grammys, and his successful attempts to purchase rights back from his former label Def Jam.

Four years separate 2012’s ‘Channel ORANGE’ and 2016’s two LPs. In the NYT interview, Frank admits that he experienced writer’s block for “almost a year”, adding that he would “stare at the [studio] monitors and come up with nothing, or nothing that I liked.”

“When I was making the record, there was 50 versions of ‘White Ferrari’”, he cited. “I have a 15-year-old little brother, and he heard one of the versions, and he’s like, “You gotta put that one out, that’s the one.” And I was like, “Naw, that’s not the version,” because it didn’t give me peace yet.” He explained his process by saying: “They’re just chords, just melodies. I don’t know what combination of those objects is gonna make me feel how I need to feel. But I know precisely the feeling that needs to happen.” And sounding at ease with his place in the world, he said: “I believe that I’m one of the best in the world at what I do, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”

Read the full interview here.