5 Facts About Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia, Ultra

It was released as a free mixtape on Tumblr Frank Ocean self-released Nostalgia, Ultra on his Tumblr blog on February 16, 2011, with no label involvement.

It was never an official album The project was a mixtape, not a studio album, and was never sold commercially at launch.

It came before any label deal Ocean was unsigned at the time, making the release a DIY move to build buzz.

It used uncleared samples The mixtape famously samples songs like the Eagles’ “Hotel California” and Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing,” which prevented a formal retail release.

It launched his career The mixtape earned critical acclaim and led to his signing with Def Jam later that year.