Jay-Z‘s “4:44″ album is arguably his most personal project to date. Along with music, Hov has released music videos, short documentaries called “footnotes,” as well as a detailed interview on Rap Radar’s podcast. However, not everyone was initially happy with some of Jay’s revelations — especially his mom.
Jigga raps about his mother’s sexuality on the track “Smile,” spitting, “Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian.”
Jay-Z said his mother, Ms. Gloria Carter, didn’t like her personal life being spilled on wax. According to The Jasmine Brand, Jigga revealed, “We had a beautiful conversation that led to me making that song and I didn’t have permission to make that song. When she first heard the song, she was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ I was like, ‘This is so important. So many people in the world are hiding. This will help them.’ That’s all I’ll say about that.”
Jigga also said the track is one of his “proudest songs” and added, “I was just so happy of the person she’s becoming. Live your life, be who you are.”
Good affirmation from Jay, but it’s not always as simple as “live your life, be who you are.” There is still real fear for people to be their authentic selves, especially when LGBT people of color are far more likely to experience violence than any other demographic. Just sayin’, Hov.
You can check out Jay-Z’s full Rap Radar interview on Tidal.
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