Jay-Z opens up about his mother's emotional coming out story

The rapper sat down with David Letterman to reveal all.
 By   on 
Jay-Z opens up about his mother's emotional coming out story
Watch Next

Over the past couple of decades, we've heard countless of stories from Jay-Z's records that detail his often-private personal life and relationships with family members. But on the Brooklyn native's latest album, 4:44, Jay-Z gets real about something he's never rapped about before: his mother's sexuality.

On David Letterman's latest episode of "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," Hov explains exactly what happened and how it prompted him to pen the song "Smile" the next day. The episode airs on Friday, April 6 on Netflix, but until then, enjoy the clip above and stock up on some tissues.

Topics Celebrities


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.



Is This The End of Hollywood's ‘Bad Moms’?
Recent representations of motherhood on film: (from left) Amy Adams in 'Nightbitch', Jennifer Lawrence in 'Die My Love', and Rose Byrne in 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!