Tricky Stewart, Who Signed Frank Ocean to Def Jam, Slams Label for Mistreatment of Frank

The seemingly strained state of Frank Ocean’s current relationship with Def Jam Records has a long history, and the label has gotten what it deserved, says the man who originally signed Frank to Def Jam. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Frank’s new visual album Endless “fulfills Frank’s obligations to Def Jam and Universal.” That meant that his other new album, Blonde, which is available as an Apple Music exclusive, was self-released, and Def Jam will not profit from it. In a new interview with The Fader, Tricky Stewart, the songwriter and producer who signed Ocean to his Def Jam imprint RedZone Records in 2009, slammed the label for its mistreatment of Frank. Pitchfork has reached out to Def Jam for comment.

Stewart told Fader:

Frank came in with the best intentions of being a great artist to a label. He was looking at it with an open mind. But bringing him into Def Jam was a little bit of a disaster. It was probably, in hindsight, a huge mistake on my part. The label wasn’t motivated by the signing. They didn’t give him the respect that I thought he deserved. I couldn’t really get Def Jam to respond to him the way the way that I wanted them to respond to him.

He added that Frank was aware of the mistreatment, telling him, “The label is not supporting me.” As a result, Stewart said Frank made the self-released Nostalgia, Ultra. “out of a survival instinct.” Stewart also said that Def Jam violated his contract and that “Channel Orange got made without [Stewart] being involved.”

Stewart reflected:

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. There’s too many artists out here with that story. Luckily for Frank, he was able to turn a negative time and a negative period into something that worked for him and his family. This is a changing of the guard. This story has got to make label people wake up and realize that they have great talent on their label.

Read the full interview here.

Frank has long been vocal about his dissatisfaction with Def Jam. In a 2011 interview he said:

Outside of the contract and the paperwork, there was no relationship. I never walked through the building. I never had an opportunity to build with them, because of some other shit within the company. All I knew was that I was an artist, and I didn’t have a relationship with my label.

Back when he was on Twitter, he twice railed against Def Jam:

i. did. this. not ISLAND DEF JAM. that’s why you see no label logo on the artwork that I DID. guess its my fault for trusting my dumbass lawyer and signing my career over to a failing company. fuck Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. fuck em. now back to my day. i want some oatmeal and toast. brunch swag.

i woke up today feeling like all my followers should know that…my record label slept on me. like slept for over a year. & just for clarity, sleeping is fine. but dont wake up with your fuckin hand out. no swag. fuck Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. fuck em

Read “Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Six Things to Know,” on the Pitch.