Frank Ocean Just Came Out: Will the Rap Community Embrace a Gay Star?

First there was Anderson Cooper. Now, it’s Frank Ocean’s turn to step out of the closet and admit his sexuality to the world. But what makes Frank’s disclosure particularly powerful is that he is one of the first rap artists to do so. Is the member of the rap group Odd Future taking a big risk putting himself out there into unchartered territory?



It is fitting that Ocean revealed his true self on Independence Day and in his statement he said, “I feel like a free man." It remains to be seen if his fans and fellow artists will embrace his courage or turn their backs on him. In the Twittersphere, some celebs have already stepped up and supported Ocean. His fellow Odd Future band mate Tyler the Creator tweeted, "My Big Brother Finally *** Did That. Proud Of That *** Cause I Know That *** Is Difficult Or Whatever." Solange Knowles’ tweet said simply, “I salute you, brave soul. Independence Day.” And Chely Wright, the first lesbian to come out in country music, said, “I can't think of a better way for Frank to celebrate Independence Day. It's spectacular."

But will the big boys of the hip hop world step up for Frank? Only time will tell. It will also take a few weeks to find out the repercussions on record sales when his debut solo album “Channel Orange” hits the streets. With love songs that use the pronoun “him,” will his fans take offense or will they push through the homophobia and start a new era in the genre? What do you think: Will the rap community embrace a gay star?