Jay-Z’s Mom Comes Out as Lesbian on “Smile” On 4:44 Album

Huffpost reports:

Jay-Z’s mother Gloria Carter has officially revealed her sexual identity on Jay’s newly released album, 4:44.

In the song “Smile,” Hov elaborates on his mother’s sexuality and reveals that she is a lesbian. It is the first time either of them have addressed this on record when he spits, “Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian.”

Jay-Z elaborates on her story of hiding her sexual identity with bars like, “Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate / Society shame and the pain was too much to take,” And he shows support for his mother when he spits, “Cried tears of joy when you fell in love / Don’t matter to me if it’s a him or her.”

“Smile” also features Carter herself telling her story in a spoken word interlude on the song.

“Living in the shadow / Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live?” she says. “In the shadows people see you as happy and free / Because that’s what you want them to see,” she continues. “The world is changing and they say it’s time to be free / But you live with the fear of just being me... Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be / No harm for them, no harm for me / But life is short, and it’s time to be free / Love who you love, because life isn’t guaranteed.”