JAY-Z’s mother, Gloria Carter, came out to the world as a lesbian on the track “Smile” from Jay’s “4:44” album, but the big reveal almost didn’t happen.
In an interview with Elliott Wilson and B. Dot on the Rap Radar Podcast, JAY-Z reveals he made the song without his mother’s approval. Once she heard the track she said, “Absolutely not” to its release.
“We just had a beautiful conversation and it led to me making the song, and I didn’t have permission to make the song,” JAY-Z says. “When she first heard the song, she was like, ‘Absolutely not,’ and I was like, ‘Man, this is so important.’ So many people in the world hiding and things like this and this will help you … That’s how we spoke about that song. I was just so happy at the person she become … It’s one of my proudest songs.”
He continued to say how much he admires his mother for coming out and that he cherishes their relationship.
“It’s a beautiful story. I was just so proud,” JAY-Z went on. “I’ve always had love for my mother. I always looked up to her. Man, she’s so fu*king dope. My mom has been dope her whole life. She’s just a dope person. Listen to her, she sounds like Maya Angelou. Her pacing, her voice is just so regal. She’s a speaker. Our relationship developed to another level as I started getting to know myself.”
