While many people will be focused on the direct responses to Beyoncé’s Lemonade in Jay-Z’s 4:44, the album has a truly heartwarming moment on the track “Smile†that shouldn’t be missed: The rapper reveals that his mother, Gloria Carter, has finally come out as lesbian and expresses his gratitude that she has fallen in love.
On “Smile,†Jay-Z raps, “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 / Doesn’t matter if it’s a him or her / I just wanna see you smile through all the hate.â€
Later in the track, Gloria herself pops up, reading a poem that serves as her coming out, of sorts. “Living in the shadow / Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live? / In the shadows people see you as happy and free / Because that’s what you want them to see/ Living two lives, happy, but not free / You live in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or the person you love.â€
Gloria goes on to say, “The world is changing and they say it’s time to be free / But you live with the fear of just being me / Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be.†Her poem ends with, “But life is short, and it’s time to be free / Love who you love, because life isn’t guaranteed / Smile.â€