Def Jam Says Relationship With Frank Ocean Was Like A “Bad Marriage”

Though we previously thought Frank Ocean fulfilled his contract with Def Jam, reports are surfacing that the label chose to release him early, terming their relationship a “bad marriage.”

Last month, Frank Ocean dropped two new albums, Endless and Blonde. The former was released on Def Jam and the latter on his own independent label, Boys Don’t Cry. Blonde is a standalone project, while Endless didn’t qualify for the Billboard albums chart since it was only available to Apple Music subscribers as a video.
According to a source via the Associated Press, “He didn’t want to be on a label.” No one has confirmed how many albums he owed Def Jam, but regardless, they weren’t willing to drag it out with him. AP reports Blonde was a kept secret from Def Jam until right before it came out.
“He wanted to do his own thing. I’m sure there was some kind of negotiation in order for him to get out of the contract if there were remaining commitments on the contract.”
It seems Ocean may have come out the winner in this, since he managed to earn $1 million off his indie LP, Blonde. The album also took No. 1 in its first week on the Billboard 200 albums chart.