Jay-Z's newly released 4:44 album includes a song called "Smile," and it features the spoken word of his mother, Gloria Carter. On the track, Carter publicly comes out as lesbian for the first time. Jay-Z raps supportive words to show how much he loves his mother and doesn't care at all about her sexual nature.

He sings, “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.”

Carter shares her perspective in the narrative song about her life, too.

She says, “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 / 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 / No harm for them, no harm for me / But life is short, and it’s time to be free / Love who you love, because life isn’t guaranteed.”

"Smile" is a poignant track and seems like a triumph for Carter, who can hopefully now live a happier and "free" life as she states in the song.

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