Frank Ocean: 'No Criminal Charges, No Civil Lawsuit'

Frank Ocean arrives at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on September 6th, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Despite recent reports that Frank Ocean wanted to press charges against Chris Brown over the fight that allegedly broke out between the two earlier this week, Ocean appears to be seeking peace instead.

In an entry posted on his Tumblr page this weekend, Ocean ruminated on his response to getting jumped. "As a child I thought if someone jumped me it would result in me murdering or mutilating a man," Ocean wrote. "But as a man I am not a killer. I'm an artist and a modern person. I'll choose sanity. No criminal charges. No civil lawsuit. Forgiveness, albeit difficult, is wisdom. Peace, albeit trite, is what I want in my short life. Peace." 

50 Best Albums of 2012: Frank Ocean, 'Channel Orange'

Although he does not mention Chris Brown by name, Ocean seems to be referring to last Sunday's scuffle outside a West Hollywood recording studio, which reportedly broke out over a parking space. Ocean tweeted on Monday morning that he "got jumped by chris and a couple guys," and police investigating the fight cited witness accounts of Brown punching Ocean during a brawl that involved four other men from their entourages.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Frank Ocean: 'No Criminal Charges, No Civil Lawsuit'

Frank Ocean arrives at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on September 6th, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Despite recent reports that Frank Ocean wanted to press charges against Chris Brown over the fight that allegedly broke out between the two earlier this week, Ocean appears to be seeking peace instead.

In an entry posted on his Tumblr page this weekend, Ocean ruminated on his response to getting jumped. "As a child I thought if someone jumped me it would result in me murdering or mutilating a man," Ocean wrote. "But as a man I am not a killer. I'm an artist and a modern person. I'll choose sanity. No criminal charges. No civil lawsuit. Forgiveness, albeit difficult, is wisdom. Peace, albeit trite, is what I want in my short life. Peace." 

50 Best Albums of 2012: Frank Ocean, 'Channel Orange'

Although he does not mention Chris Brown by name, Ocean seems to be referring to last Sunday's scuffle outside a West Hollywood recording studio, which reportedly broke out over a parking space. Ocean tweeted on Monday morning that he "got jumped by chris and a couple guys," and police investigating the fight cited witness accounts of Brown punching Ocean during a brawl that involved four other men from their entourages.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Civil Wars to Headline Google Music Series at Sundance

Civil Wars perform at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

Folk-pop duo the Civil Wars will headline the T-Mobile Presents Google Music Series, a string of gigs at the TAO Nightclub in Park City, Utah during this year's Sundance Film Festival. The Civil Wars will perform on Monday, January 23rd with support from Feather and Belle. Bad Rabbits and Fort Lean will play on January 20th, Vintage Trouble and the Whigs on January 21st and G-Side and Chancellor Warhol on January 22nd.

This won't be the Civil Wars' first experience playing at the prestigious film festival. "We had a wonderful time [at Sundance] last year," singer and guitarist John Paul White tells Rolling Stone. "We saw some great movies and old friends, met some new friends and whiskeys. We thoroughly enjoyed playing the ASCAP stage with other artists we really dig. It makes sense that we would enjoy the festival – there's a certain kinship to what we do as independent artists. The perspectives are the same. It's inspiring."

The duo, who recently recorded a song with Taylor Swift for the forthcoming Hunger Games soundtrack, have a longstanding interest in film music. "I had – and still have – a lot of favorite soundtracks," says White. "I fell asleep almost every night as a kid to the Sense and Sensibility soundtrack. I also owned the Braveheart soundtrack, and I remember being moved by how the music blended so perfectly with the film. It made me want to score a film one day."

White was also a big fan of the soundtracks for Empire Records, Forrest Gump, Reality Bites and Garden State. "All of those soundtracks were on steady rotation after seeing the films," he says. "Nowadays, The Hours soundtrack by Philip Glass and Yann Tiersen's soundtrack for Amelie, as well as Clint Mansell's soundtrack for The Fountain, have been playing often in my house."

Though Civil Wars are still promoting their debut, Barton Hollow, White has his mind on recording a follow-up soon. "Hopefully we stick to our guns and make a record with one criteria – pleasing ourselves," he says. "The only thing we can control is whether we like it or not. We have to let the chips fall where they may when it comes to other opinions of it."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Civil Wars to Headline Google Music Series at Sundance

Civil Wars perform at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

Folk-pop duo the Civil Wars will headline the T-Mobile Presents Google Music Series, a string of gigs at the TAO Nightclub in Park City, Utah during this year's Sundance Film Festival. The Civil Wars will perform on Monday, January 23rd with support from Feather and Belle. Bad Rabbits and Fort Lean will play on January 20th, Vintage Trouble and the Whigs on January 21st and G-Side and Chancellor Warhol on January 22nd.

This won't be the Civil Wars' first experience playing at the prestigious film festival. "We had a wonderful time [at Sundance] last year," singer and guitarist John Paul White tells Rolling Stone. "We saw some great movies and old friends, met some new friends and whiskeys. We thoroughly enjoyed playing the ASCAP stage with other artists we really dig. It makes sense that we would enjoy the festival – there's a certain kinship to what we do as independent artists. The perspectives are the same. It's inspiring."

The duo, who recently recorded a song with Taylor Swift for the forthcoming Hunger Games soundtrack, have a longstanding interest in film music. "I had – and still have – a lot of favorite soundtracks," says White. "I fell asleep almost every night as a kid to the Sense and Sensibility soundtrack. I also owned the Braveheart soundtrack, and I remember being moved by how the music blended so perfectly with the film. It made me want to score a film one day."

White was also a big fan of the soundtracks for Empire Records, Forrest Gump, Reality Bites and Garden State. "All of those soundtracks were on steady rotation after seeing the films," he says. "Nowadays, The Hours soundtrack by Philip Glass and Yann Tiersen's soundtrack for Amelie, as well as Clint Mansell's soundtrack for The Fountain, have been playing often in my house."

Though Civil Wars are still promoting their debut, Barton Hollow, White has his mind on recording a follow-up soon. "Hopefully we stick to our guns and make a record with one criteria – pleasing ourselves," he says. "The only thing we can control is whether we like it or not. We have to let the chips fall where they may when it comes to other opinions of it."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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