Grammy winner Frank Ocean is among
those featured in TIME magazine's annual list of the 100 most
influential people.
The 28-year-old hip-hop artist came out
gay last year.
Each influential person on TIME's list
is profiled by a guest contributor. Singer-songwriter and actor John
Legend wrote about Ocean.
“Frank is brilliant,” Legend wrote.
“The day I started writing with him, it was clear that he has a
very interesting mind and a distinctive way of expressing himself.
He was fearless and innately creative. You talk to some people in
this business and you get the sense that they're very focused on
radio: what will be a hit or won't be a hit. You never get that from
Frank. The focus is on creating something that's beautiful, that's
great art.”
“Frank broke a lot of rules with his
album Channel Orange. He wasn't focused on 'What’s gonna be my
single?' And obviously, one of the cardinal rules was that he wasn't
supposed to come out. But he did, and he did it in a way that speaks
to what kind of artist he is, in a beautifully written letter to his
fans. The day the letter was published, he came over to my house for
a July 4 barbecue, where he was among friends who supported him and
showed him love.”
“How fitting that he released his
'declaration' on Independence Day. I think Frank's career will be
defined by his fearlessness and his artistic freedom. He has the
talent, the ability and the brilliance to have an impact for a long
time. He will follow his muse wherever it goes – he's not the kind
of artist to adhere to everyone else's schedule. That's what makes
him special.”