Weeks later, when the cold came and his apartment windows drew tight with frost, he played the files once more. In a low track that had been at the end, a voice hummed the beginning of a song and trailed off, leaving the rest for something else—someone else—to finish. He hums it now sometimes in the kitchen while rinsing a plate. It's imperfect; it skips like a vinyl scratch. But it fits.

Born Christopher Edwin Breaux on October 28, 1987, Frank Ocean grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began his music career in the early 2000s, eventually joining Odd Future, a collective of artists and producers founded by Tyler, The Creator. Ocean's unique vocal style, introspective lyrics, and genre-bending sound quickly set him apart from his peers.