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<\/a><\/p>\nJay-Z\u2019s mother Gloria Carter explained how she told her son she was gay<\/a> in an interview on the D\u2019USSE Friday podcast.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Jay-Z released a song, \u201cSmile\u201d, with a rap that discussed his mother\u2019s coming out. The track ended with Carter reciting a poem about \u201cLiving two lives, happy but not free.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Carter on the podcast (transcript via NME<\/a>):<\/p>\n \u201cI 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<\/a>. So my son started actually tearing. \u2018Cause he\u2019s like, \u2018That had to be a horrible life, ma\u2019. I was like, \u2018My life was never horrible. It was just different.\u2019 So that made him want to do a song about it\u2026.I was never ashamed of me. In my family, it was something that was never discussed\u2026 I\u2019m tired of all the mystery. I\u2019m gonna give it to \u2018em. I don\u2019t have to worry about anybody wondering if I\u2019m in the life or not, I\u2019m 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\u2026 Now it\u2019s time for me to be free.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen to the podcast (excerpt above starts around 26 minutes):<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Carter\u2019s final verse in the song:<\/p>\n \u201cLiving in the shadow. Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live<\/a>? In the shadows people see you as happy and free, because that\u2019s what you want them to see. Living two lifes, happy but not free.You live<\/a> in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or someone you love.\u00a0The world is changing and they say it\u2019s time to be free. But you live<\/a> with the fear of just being me. Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be. No harm for them, no harm for me. But life is short, and it\u2019s time to be free. Love who you love, because life isn\u2019t guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo: Jay-Z and his mother Gloria Carter by Joella Marano<\/a> is licensed<\/a> under (cc-by-SA 2.0<\/a>)<\/p>\n The post Jay-Z\u2019s Mom Explained How She Came Out to Him as Gay<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n