The prevailing narrative regarding the release of Frank Ocean's visual album Endless was that it was released in part to fulfill his obligation to Def Jam Records, but it turns out that may not actually be the case: the Associated Press, citing a source "who spoke on the condition of anonymity," is reporting that Ocean's relationship with the record label had ended before the release of both Endless and Blonde, equating it to a "bad marriage."
"He didn't want to be on a label. He wanted to do his own thing," the source said. They continued, "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."
Since announcing the follow-up to Channel Orange last spring, Ocean teased the album and experienced delays and drove fans crazy (including Adele), so it's not tough to see how Ocean's creative process could have made the working relationship between the musician and a well-oiled machine like Def Jam contentious: The source also said that Blonde "was delivered right at the last minute."
