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We were poor. But my mom never accepted that. She worked hard to become a residential contractor - got her master's with honors at the University of New Orleans. I used to go to every class with her. Her father was my paternal figure.
Frank Ocean
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes resilience and hard work in the face of adversity, showcasing the influence of a strong maternal figure.

In this quote, Frank Ocean reflects on his childhood experiences of poverty and highlights the determination of his mother, who defied their circumstances by becoming a successful residential contractor. Her commitment to education, exemplified by earning a master's degree with honors, serves as an inspiration not only to him but also illustrates how strong, nurturing figures can impact one's life significantly. The acknowledgment of his grandfather as a paternal influence further underscores the importance of family support and role models in overcoming challenges.

Themes

ResilienceHard WorkEducationMotherPovertyFamily

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect for a graduation speech to emphasize the importance of perseverance.

More from Frank Ocean

Whenever I think about movies, I always look at that art process as having the best of a lot of worlds. Because if you watch a great film, you have a musical element to it, not just on the scoring, but in the way that the shots are edited - that has music and rhythm and time.
Frank OceanRead
It's about the stories. If I write 14 stories that I love, then the next step is to get the environment of music around it to best envelop the story, and all kinds of sonic goodness - sonic goodies.
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I think we all change each other's paths. I don't know which law idea that is in physics, but I don't think any of us can live without affecting one another.
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Work hard in silence, let success be your noise.
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Some people focus more on sonics. Some people focus more on story. I focus on both sonics and story, but music sometimes, just music itself, can turn into more of a maths problem. I guess everything in life is a math problem, but it can be more about an empirical route to getting the symmetry that you want, and this vibe, sonically.
Frank OceanRead
The work is the work. The work is not me.
Frank OceanRead

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