Aziz Ansari shares Frank Ocean’s secret in new Netflix comedy special
Photo: Netflix.
Aziz Ansari recounts a conversation with Frank Ocean on balancing creative freedom and making money in his new Netflix stand-up special, Nightclub Comedian. Ansari sets up the bit by discussing celebrities who accept any endorsement deal offered to them, then tells a story about meeting Ocean, who takes a very different approach. Watch the video and read the transcript below:
I remember one time in my career, I felt like I was doing too much. I felt a little stretched thin, and I ran into Frank Ocean at a party, and I was like, “Frank, how do you do it, man? You never do any press, you barely tour, and you only put out your music when you really want to. What’s the secret?” And he said, “Oh, man, you just got to be comfortable making less money, that’s all.” And I was like, “Oh, shit. Make less money, you say? [*breathes heavily*] Never thought about that.” But I did, and I still do. You see me. I don’t do a lot of stuff; I just do the stuff I really care about, you know?
Ansari concludes with a comment on Ocean’s luxury brand, Homer, recently launched in August 2021:
And, Frank… Frank started a jewelry line, so I don’t know. Guess he changed his mind? “Oh, shit, I got too comfortable making less money!”