Frank Ocean Inks Deal With Warner Chappell Music: Report

Frank Ocean quietly making money moves.

BYAron A.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Frank Ocean isn't necessarily the type to broadcast his business, is anyway. Whether music or his personal life, Frank Ocean stays low key for the most part. In recent times, it appears as though he's made some major power plays that have, of course, never been spoken of until now. According to Variety, Frank signed a publishing deal with Warner Chapell. This is the latest signee under the company’s new co-chairs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall. Frank's deal landed in the fall but Warner Chapell's brought along other major names to the roster such as Lizzo and Summer Walker.

Frank's issues with the music industry have been aired out in the past. He famously released Endless to, ironically, end his contract with Def Jam before releasing Blonde. He discussed his problems with the industry earlier this year with GayLetter.

"F—ing with major music companies, you’re going to be… deflowered," he explained. "Anytime you get into the business side of the arts, there has to be some degree of objectification or commodification that you’re comfortable with, of yourself and of your work…. A lot of people I talk to about careers in the music industry, their ideas of success have to do with nostalgia. They have to do with tropes of success, things they’ve been shown over the years that represent what a successful career is. I think that helps you become prey, because somebody can manipulate you with those things."


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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.