JAY-Z surprised his mom for her birthday with the gift of a performance from The Isley Brothers.
The rap legend’s mother, Dr. Gloria Carter, celebrated her 75th birthday over the weekend, with her son bringing out one of her favorite groups for the big bash.
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Kandy Isley posted a video on Instagram of her and husband Ronald Isley being warmly embraced by Hov and Beyoncé at the party.
In the clip, Jay can be heard saying to Ronald: “I appreciate you, man. Thank you so much.”
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Kandy also thanked the Carters in her caption for including them in the celebrations.
She wrote: “We Had A Wonderful Time In Brooklyn This Weekend Celebrating Dr. Gloria Carter’s 75th Birthday! Jay Requested The Isley Brothers To Help Honor His Mother! What A Night! Both @jayz Jay & @beyonce Were So Kind & Generous! Thank You For Wonderful Evening & Including The Brothers!”
Gloria Carter got married last year to her longtime partner Roxanne Wilshire, with many stars attending the wedding.
In addition to JAY-Z and Beyoncé, the likes of Kelly Rowland, Tyler Perry and Robin Roberts also watched the couple exchange vows.
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On his 2017 album 4:44, Jay told the story of finding out about his mother’s struggle to hide her sexuality on his track “Smile.”
While Hov later admitted in an interview that Gloria wasn’t okay with the song at first, both of them realized the message was too important not to share with the rest of the world.
At the 29th GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards in Los Angeles in 2018, “Smile” was the recipient of a Special Recognition award, with Gloria accepting the award on her son’s behalf while delivering a touching speech.
After Robin Roberts introduced her, Dr. Carter thanked several people and relived the moment she came out to her son. She also explained why she wasn’t completely forthcoming with others and the moment it all changed — meeting her then-partner, who blew her an encouraging kiss mid-speech.
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“Here I am. I’m loving. I’m respectful. I’m productive and I’m a human being who has a right to love who I love,” she said in closing. “So everybody, just smile, be free. Thank you and God bless.”
