Jay-Z’s Mother Gives Moving Speech About Coming Out to Her Rapper Son

In April, the rapper revealed he cried “tears of joy” when mother Gloria Carter came out as gay, saying he was happy “she was free”. His song ‘Smile’, featured on his latest album ‘4:44’ closes with a poem read by his mother. Receiving a Special Recognition prize at the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), she said: “Love gave me the courage to take the power that I allowed other people to have over my life for fear of them revealing my secret that wasn’t really a secret.” “Here I am. I’m loving, I’m respectful, I’m productive, and I’m a human being who has a right to love who I love…So everybody, just smile, be free.”