-Frank Ocean fulfilled his contract with Def Jam when he released Endless.
-Tricky Stewart brought Frank to Def Jam through his label RedZone Records (an imprint in partnership with UMG of Def Jam).
-He wanted to sign Frank as soon as he heard his music, he didn't want anyone else singing Frank's music.
-He thinks Frank has an advantage over other songwriters because he isn't afraid to show vulnerability.
-Frank records one word 300-400 times. "He’s not trying to hit every note perfectly but he knows how he wants you to feel."
-Def Jam was not excited about Frank on their label. Stewart was doing well with artists he was working with at the time (Bieber, Rihanna, and The-Dream), so he thought it'd be fine for him to bring his new artist by.
-"They told me, “Trick you’re losing it.” I was told, “This shit is old R&B.” I was like, “This isn’t old R&B. This is new hip-hop. These are the kids that the hip-hop generation are having, with his word play. This ain’t the same old shit.” But it slipped through the cracks."
-It messed up Frank and Stewart's relationship because the label wasn't supporting Frank at all.
-"The truth is, if it wasn’t for Chris Clancy and the Odd Future team embracing Frank, we may not even know who Frank is today."
-"When the label rebuked him and he found himself, the label lost it for everybody involved."
-He changed his name from Lonny Breaux to Frank Ocean with Nostalgia, Ultra. Def Jam had no idea that it was him who released the mixtape because they didn't know he had changed his name. It took them three weeks to call.
-"At the end of the day, I think Def Jam created a monster that they couldn’t control. He just treated them how he was treated..."
-Basically Tricky Stewart warns that record labels need to realize that they have great talent on their labels because the special person may not end up looking for a record label and go the independent route instead.
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