As much as his early Odd Future contemporaries Tyler, The Creator and (to a lesser commercial but no less critically influential degree) Earl Sweatshirt impacted the advent of the meme generation of hip hop, the soul-hearted stylings of Frank Ocean changed what being both a vocalist and an idolized figure in the cult of musical personality would mean to talent, and not just content, as the next two generations graduated from pods to pads to phones that dictate what they wear, watch, eat, drink and care about on any given day. Taking the high road of reclusive relevance, Ocean has done us all a favour since this studio debut by keeping his projects few and far between and his process a mystery, thus leaving fans with that rare treat: something to anticipate, and then to appreciate.
