Rising R&B singer-songwriter has made headlines just weeks before the release of his debut album, revealing in an emotional Tumblr post that his first love was a man. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide,\u201d Ocean wrote, going on to say that he was devastated when his feelings were not reciprocated, but that he now feels like \u201ca free man\u201d.<\/p>\n
Rumours about the 24-year-old US singer\u2019s sexuality had surfaced in recent days as early reviewers of his upcoming album, Channel Orange, noted that several love songs on the record referenced a \u2018he\u2019 rather than a \u2018she\u2019. <\/p>\n
Reactions in the notoriously homophobic R&B\/hip-hop community have so far been positive, with Ocean\u2019s friend, rapper Tyler The Creator, Tweeting his support. <\/p>\n
Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons issued a statement praising Ocean\u2019s honesty, saying \u201c\u201cToday is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are. How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we?\u201d<\/p>\n