Jay-Z has propped his mother up via song in times past, but on 4:44 he dropped a lyric about her sexual orientation that shocked some not inside their camp. Gloria Carter revealed during a podcast interview how she eventually came out to her son who showed her nothing but loving support in the end.

Carter was a recent guest on the D’USSE Friday, speaking on several topics including her role as co-founder and CEO of The Shawn Carter Foundation. When the conversation turned to the lyrics on 4:44‘s “Smile” in where Jay-Z speaks on his mother opening up about her life, Carter didn’t hold back her words.

The lyrics from “Smile”:

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

From the podcast:

“I just finally started telling (Jay) who I was. Besides your mother, this is the person that I am. This is the life that I live. So my son started actually tearing. ‘Cause 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.” “I was never ashamed of me. In my family, it was something that was never discussed…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, I’m gonna tell them. So now that I told you, what do you have to talk about? 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.”

Excuse us as we find a little tissue to handle this eye sweat we have going on.

Check out Gloria Carter’s conversation with D’USSE Friday below. Hit the 25:00-minute mark to get into that portion of the discussion, although the entire chat is worth a listen.

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Photo: WENN.com