One of the most popular Trap Lore Ross videos to date is a 10-minute breakdown on “How Frank Ocean Finessed Def Jam Out of $20,000,000.”
The story begins with Frank Ocean signing a two-album deal with Def Jam in 2009, which would go on to include his 2012 critically acclaimed album debut, Channel Orange. After releasing his debut, Ocean disappeared from the public eye before eventually returning and dropping jaws across the industry with the way he wrapped up his contract.
As Miles Khanye of Title Mag summarizes:
“In August of 2016, Frank Ocean executed his intricate plan, which he had thought through for 2 years to perfection. At 3 am, an unusual stream of Ocean woodworking in a warehouse in Brooklyn appeared on his website with an Apple Music logo. The stream went on for another 140 hours. As the livestream continued on it became clear to the viewer that he was building a staircase. Near the completion of the staircase, the video suddenly gets a soundtrack. You can hear Frank’s voice sing a beautiful rendition of Aaliyah’s ‘At your Best (You Are Love)’ and that’s how Endless– the video album was released.” – Title Mag
Trap Lore Ross does a great job summarizing the situation and how Frank Ocean came out on top—making headlines across the world in the process.
“Basically, Def Jam got absolutely finessed. They thought they were getting a banging Frank Ocean album but what they actually got was a 45-minute Home Depot commercial that nobody wants to watch.” – Trap Lore Ross
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