Jay-Z cried when his mother came out as gay
Jay-Z’s mother has opened up about coming out as gay on her son’s latest album.
Gloria Carter came out as gay on her son’s album, 4:44, released in June.
In track Smile, Jay-Z raps while his mother reads a poem about hiding her sexuality for years.
He raps: “Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian/Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian.
“Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate/Society shame and the pain was too much to take.”
Speaking on the D’USSE Friday podcast this week, Mrs Carter opened up about coming out to her son and the process of making the song.
She said: “The song came about because I was sitting there one day, and I just finally started telling [my son] who I was; Besides your mother, this is the person that I am. This is the life that I’ve lived.
“My son started actually tearing. He’s like, ‘that had to be a horrible life, ma’.
“I said, ‘my life was never horrible. It was just different.’
“That made him want to do a song about it, and the first time I heard the song, I was like, ‘no dude, I a’int feeling that. I was sharing myself with you, not with the world, I don’t know whether I’m ready for that’.
“We talked about it and we talked about it, and I was going out to see him, and I said, I’m going to help him. We’re gonna do this. I wrote [my verse] while I was on the plane, going out to LA.
“I gave it to him, and he said ‘start reading this’, and he was taping me!”
“We talked back and forth about it, but in reality, the reason I call it living in the shadows is people see me as I want them to see me. I was never ashamed of me.
“In my family, it was something that was never discussed.”
Carter added that she decided to come out after gossip sites began speculating about her personal life, as it impacted people she was seen in public with.
She said: “It wasn’t fair to them. It’s not fair for anyone to know my personal business. Who I share my life with is no-one’s business.”
“I thought, I’m tired of all the mystery. I’m gonna give it to ‘em. I don’t have to worry about anybody wondering if I’m in the life or not, I’m going to tell them!
“Now that I told you, what do you have to talk about? Nothing!
“Now maybe you can focus on the phenomenal things I do, focus on that!
“It’s a small part of your life. Heterosexuals don’t have to walk around talking about their personal life, so why should someone who’s in the life have to do that? It’s not fair.
“I’m a O.G. Now it’s time for me to live my life and be happy, be free.”
Related: From A$AP to Jay Z: 15 hip-hop stars who think homophobes are mothaf*ckas
