Gloria Carter: Everything About Jay-Z’s mother

Gloria Carter is the mother of Jay-Z.  Gloria Carter’s son Jay-Z also known as Shawn Corey Carter is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists. Here’s what you need to know about Jay-Z’s mother, Gloria.

Gloria Carter Worked as a Clerk in an Investment Firm

Jay-Z’s mother, Gloria Carter worked as a clerk in an investment firm. In an interview with USA Today in 2014, She revealed that she would sometimes take on “an extra job as a security guard to make ends meet.”- Gloria continued to work as her son, Jay-Z’s career began taking off, which her son didn’t like.

In the interview with USA Today, she revealed- “Jay had a problem with that,”- adding that the Billionaire rapper and his siblings arranged a meeting to talk their mother into retiring. After a year of retirement, Gloria realized something. “I was bored,” she said.

Jay Z’s Parents- Gloria Carter and Adnis Reeves

Jay-Z’s father, Adnis Reeves, abandoned Jay-Z’s mother, his two older sisters, and his older brother when he was just 11. Taking to  Vanity Fair in 2013 Jay-Z revealed- “We were living in a tough situation, but my mother managed,” “She juggled. Sometimes we’d pay the light bill, sometimes we paid the phone, and sometimes the gas went off. We weren’t starving—we were eating, we were O.K. But it was things like you didn’t want to be embarrassed when you went to school; you didn’t want to have dirty sneakers or wear the same clothes over again.”

Jay-Z Loves Taking about his mother

“We were told our parents would separate, but the reasons weren’t explained,” Jay-Z told O magazine in 2009. “My mom prepared us more than he did. I don’t think he was ready for that level of discussion and emotion. He was a guy who was pretty detached from his feelings.” When asked why his father left, Jay-Z said, “I summed it up that they weren’t getting along. There was a lot of arguing.”

Jay-Z felt protective of her Mother Gloria Carter

“I also felt protective of my mom. I remember telling her, ‘Don’t worry, when I get big, I’m going to take care of this.’ I felt like I had to step up,” Jay told Oprah Winfrey. “I was 11 years old, right? But I felt I had to make the situation better.”

As said earlier, Jay-Z’s mother, Gloria Carter- “I was bored,” after a year of retirement. Gloria Carter Is The President of the Shawn Carter Foundation. In 2003, the mother-son duo launched the Shawn Carter Foundation, a public charity that aims to “help individuals facing socio-economic hardships further their education at post-secondary institutions.”

Since its creation, over “$4MM have supported initiatives to empower youth and communities in need through the Foundation’s programs: Scholarship Fund, College Prep and Exposure, International Exposure, Professional Development, Scholar Support, and Community & Goodwill Programs,” per the foundation’s website.

“There are so many people that have a desire to go to college, but they can’t get the funding. With me taking on this responsibility, we make dreams come true,” Gloria Carter told ESSENCE.

Jay-Z’s mother- Gloria Carter is a Lesbian

JAY-Z celebrated his mother Gloria Carter’s sexuality in a duet titled “Smile,” off his June album, 4:44. Gloria performed with her son on the song “Smile” from his 2017 album 4:44. “Mama had four children, but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend for so long that she’s a thespian,” Jay-Z rapped in the first verse, revealing his mother’s sexuality to the world. Gloria described how she told her son about the undeniable truth, which moved the rapper to tears.

“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,” she told Dusse Friday (h/t PEOPLE). “So my son started actually tearing. 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, and the first time I heard the song I was like, eh, I don’t know dude. I ain’t feeling that.”

Gloria Carter revealed she only made it known to her son- Jay-Z because it was something that was never discussed. “I was never ashamed of me. I’m tired of all the mystery. I’m gonna give it to ‘em,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about anybody wondering if I’m in the life or not. 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.”

“It changed the dynamic of our relationship,” Jay-Z said on an episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted, per All Hip-Hop. “When she first heard that song [“Smile”] she got super defensive…I was in L.A., and she flew out to L.A., and then she left and was like, ‘No.’ We talked through it. And then, when she flew back to L.A., she had written a poem. She wrote that on the plane. It came with the American Airlines note pad… I was like, ‘You got bars, ma!’”

In 2018, the GLAAD Media Awards honored Jay-Z and Gloria Carter with special recognition for “Smile.” Gloria told PEOPLE that she was surprised by the reception of the song. “I didn’t realize how we touched so many lives,” she said ahead of the ceremony. “I’m just glad that I can inspire people.”