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Frank Ocean Channels Gold Album as More Chris Brown Brawl Details Emerge

Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean has always been an anomaly, but until recently, his strangeness among Grammy nominees was glaringly quantifiable. The other acts with six nominations this year — fun., Mumford & Sons, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach — all have platinum albums. Ocean still can’t claim anywhere near that, but as the Huffington Post points out, channel ORANGE has finally gone gold.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s database, Ocean’s follow-up to 2011’s nostalgia, Ultra mixtape has now sold more than 500,000 copies. Ocean stands a chance to increase those numbers significantly if he brings home trophies or puts on an outstanding performance at the Grammy Awards show this weekend.

Also increasing Ocean’s public profile lately, for better or worse, is a recent brawl with Chris Brown. While Brown compared himself to Jesus Christ, presumably due to the crucifixion he feels he has been receiving at the hands of the media (hey, talk to Lance Armstrong!), it’s Ocean who’s following the Biblical admonition to turn the other cheek. Over the weekend, Ocean wrote on his Tumblr that he’ll choose “sanity,” hinting that, contrary to earlier reports, he would not press charges against Brown.

Not that anyone could’ve blamed Ocean for taking the matter to court, based on the latest allegations. According to TMZ, Odd Future-linked producer Michael Uzowuru wrote in a now-deleted blog post that he was there with Ocean during the January 27 altercation. Brown “was trying to beat the living shit out of” Ocean, TMZ quotes Uzowuru as saying.

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Uzowuru also reportedly confirmed that the fight began over a parking spot and claimed that a “big dude” with Brown started punching another one of Ocean’s friends “for NO REASON.” According to TMZ, the producer concluded, “I don’t know what type of demons Chris is facing, but I hope he clears them all and finds a new life rooted in love and light.” Brown already has plenty of platinum (and we’re not talking about his hair).