Jay Z’s mother, Gloria Carter recently appeared on the D’USSE Friday podcast to discuss about what inspired her to feature on her son’s latest critically acclaimed studio album, 4:44.Opening for the first time, about her sexual orientation – the rapper’s mother recalled what it was like coming out to her son after all these years and how it inspired him to record a song about it.
“I just finally started telling Jay who I was,” Gloria said on the podcast. “Besides your mother, this is the person that I am. This is the life that I live,” she said. “So my son started actually tearing. He’s like, ‘That had to be a horrible life, ma’. I was like, my life was never horrible. It was just different. So that made him want to do a song about it.”
Gloria features on the legendary MC’s thirteenth studio album on a track entitled, ‘Smile’ – something she was first hesitant to participate in.
“The first time I heard the song I was like, ‘Eh, I don’t know, dude. I ain’t feeling that’…When it first happened, I was sharing myself with you, not sharing myself with the world,” Carter said.
Gloria penned an original poem addressing the subject, which she recited on the track.
“I was never ashamed of me,” she said. “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. So now maybe you can focus on the phenomenal things I do, so focus on that. Now it’s time for me to be free.”
Here are the words Ms. Carter recites on the song:
Living in the shadow
Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live?
In the shadows people see you as happy and free
Because that’s what you want them to see
Living two lives, happy, but not free
You live in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or the person you love
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
Smile
Listen to track below:
Thoughts?