Jay-Z's mother Gloria Carter tells how he reacted when she came out as a lesbian

Most of the time, children come out of the closet to their parents. In some cases, parents come out of the closet to their children. Jay-Z's mother, Gloria Carter, told him that she is a lesbian. He put that information in a song on his latest album. For the first time on Tuesday, September 5, Gloria publicly addressed the song on the "D'USSE Friday" podcast and revealed how she came out to him.

Gloria said she and her son share a lot of information. One day, she told him about her lifestyle and he began crying not because of her being a lesbian but because of the secret life she had been living.

He thought it was a horrible life. She comforted him and said her life has not been horrible. Instead, it has been different.

After having that conversation with him, the rapper decided to put the information in a song. When Gloria first heard the track, she didn't want it released. She said she told her secret to her son and not to the world. Gloria's apprehension disappeared after having several more discussions with Jay-Z. Not only did she agree for him to release the song, she also wanted to speak on the track.

What Jay-Z said

The 47-year-old singer released his album, "4:44" last June. One track stood out to those who listened to the songs on the album. It is called "Smile" in which he outed his mother through a cryptic message.

He did not call her name, but he gave enough clues for people to figure know who he was talking about. He rapped about a mother with four kids who had been hiding in a closet. He said he cried tears of joy when he found out because it doesn't matter to him if she is in love with a man or woman.

What Gloria Carter said

Months after the album was released, Gloria indicated that she was never ashamed of being a lesbian.

In her family, it was something that was never discussed, but she had reached a point where she was tired of all the mystery and she wanted to live her life being happy and free.

At the end of Jay-Z's song, his mother recites a poem she had written called "Living in the Shadows." It was about loving who you love because life is short and not guaranteed.

The public found out about Gloria's sexual orientation for the first time after her son's album was released. She is glad her secret is out, and she doesn't have to hide it any longer from the rest of her family. Jay-Z is glad he could encourage his mother through his music and assure her that he doesn't care who she loves as long as she is free.