Frank Ocean Is ‘Breaking Ground,’ Jamie Foxx Says

July 18, 2012 | Filed under: Celebrities,Music | Posted by:

From MTV

“Elton John did it. For Frank Ocean to do it and be hip-hop and black, he’s breaking ground, and kudos to him. At the end of the day, his music is for everybody,” Foxx told MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz before breaking into a bit of comedy.

“Now when I put his music on, I am trying to get at the ladies. Frank, you helping me out. You done left more for me, Frank,” he said jokingly.

MTV News caught up with Foxx and actress Kerry Washington this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about their upcoming film”Django Unchained,“ but when the subject of Odd Future singer Frank Ocean came up, the Grammy-winning Foxx broke out into song giving us an impromptu performance of “Swim Good” from Ocean’s 2011 Nostalgia, Ultra mixtape.

After revealing via his Tumblr that he once fell in love with a man, Ocean spurred a ton of discussion about homosexuality as it relates to hip-hop, R&B and other forms of pop music. It is important to note that Ocean didn’t make any declaration regarding his current relationship status. That still hasn’t stopped fans from going out and copping the singer’s latest album Channel Orange,which has been atop the iTunes chart since it was digitally released July 9 and is expected to sell upward of 100,000 copies in its debut week. Physical copies of the LP will be in retail stores Tuesday.

“My sister hipped me to Frank Ocean, and I was just like, ‘Who is this dude?’ ” Foxx said of how he first learned of the blossoming singer/songwriter. Foxx said he has been trying to get a recording session in with Ocean but has been unsuccessful. Still, he and his daughter and sister will go see the OF vocalist this week when he plays at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

Foxx’s take on Frank Ocean’s sexuality and his music isn’t much different from that of 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes or Mobb Deep’s Prodigy. While some speculated that hip-hop may have an ill reaction to Ocean’s openness, it seems as if the genre is more accepting than critics often think.

“When I heard that he came out, I thought, ‘Courageous, hooray for him,’ ” Foxx continued. “It’s just the beginning. I have several friends who live in darkness and live in fear, and it’s just time.”