Yesterday, the hip-hop world was shaken by Frank Ocean's somewhat camouflaged announcement of his homosexuality (or bisexuality). A few hours after the now famous Tumblr entry, rap tycoon Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam (Ocean's label), sent out a press release expressing his support for the New Orleans artist. In the message, Simmons says that yesterday was “a big day for hip-hop”, and that he is “profoundly moved by the courage and honesty of Frank Ocean”, before concluding with “Frank, we thank you. We support you. We love you.”
Here's the full letter:
“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? 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 type of secrets should not matter anymore, but we know they do, and because of that I decided to write this short statement of support for one of the greatest new artists we have.
His gifts are undeniable. His talent, enormous. His bravery, incredible. His actions this morning will uplift our consciousness and allow us to become better people. Every single one of us is born with peace and tranquillity in our heart. Frank just found his.
Frank, we thank you. We support you. We love you.”
