Shawn “Jay Z” Carter’s mother, Gloria Carter, waited until her son was in his late 40’s to finally confess her truth to him- that she is and has long been a lesbian. That truth did not waver Jay Z’s unconditional love for his mother, nor did it rock his world, because he says he’s long believed that his mother was a lesbian.

Why Jay Z Cried

The element within Mama Carter’s reveal that did, in fact, rock Jay Z’s emotions and reduced him to tears, was the fact that his beautiful mother felt she had to live a lie for so long, simply to protect her kids. He then rapped about it on his song, “Smile” from his latest album, “4:44”:

“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/Cried tears of joy when you fell in love/Don’t matter to me if it’s a him or her.”

On David Letterman’s Netflix series, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” Jay further explained why he cried when his mother came out:

“For her to sit in front of me and tell me ‘I think I love someone’ … I really cried,” he said. “I cried because I was so happy for her that she was free.”

Jay Z never wanted his mother to suppress who she really is and now that she’s free, he’s not only written that a dope song about her, but Mama Carter is now being recognized, by the masses, for her bravery.

How Jay Z’s Mother Is Being Honored

Following the popularity of Jay Z’s song and “4:44” album, Mama Carter is being honored at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards:

Via Billboard: “By sharing her truth with the world, Gloria Carter increased visibility of lesbian women of color at a critical time and sent a powerful message of empowerment to the entire LGBTQ community,” GLAAD President and CEO Kate Ellis said. “Her story and the unconditional love that her family exhibits resonate with so many. The GLAAD Media Awards will be a critical platform to honor her work and further this important message.”

Jay Z’s Mother Explains Why She Took So Long To Come Out

In an interview on “D’USSE Friday” podcast in 2017, Gloria Carter said that she was ready to lift the weight off of her shoulders and “finally started telling him [Jay Z] who I was.”

“Besides your mother, this is the person that I am. You know, this is the life that I live,” Gloria said to Jay Z. “My son started actually tearing, like, ‘That had to be a horrible life, Ma’ … My life was never horrible. It was just different. So, that made him want to do a song about it.”

In her spoken word message at the end of her son’s song, Smile,” Mama Carter also admitted she’d kept her secret for so long because she didn’t want to hurt her family, nor her son’s and famous daughter in-law, Beyonce’s, careers:

“You live in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or the person you love … But life is short, and it’s time to be free. […] I was never ashamed of me,” Gloria Carter added. “But with my family, it was something that was never discussed. Everybody knows who I am. I don’t hide who I am. … Who I share my life with is no one’s business,” she said. “I’m tired of all the mystery, so I’m going to give it to them.”

Gloria Carter Hated Jay Z’s Song Tribute…At First

In that her D’USSE Friday interview, Gloria admitted she was not “feelin” the idea of Jay Z putting her personal business out here in these streets like that.

“…When it first happened, I was sharing myself with you,” Gloria Carter explained. “Not to share myself with the world. I was like,’I don’t know if I’m ready for that.'”

However, after letting the song marinate for a while, she grew to love it, thus ended up on the end of it. Beautiful move, indeed Ms. Carter.