Dr. Gloria Carter received the surprise of her life when Jay-Z arranged for a performance by one of her favorite groups for the big event. Over the weekend, the rap legend surprised his mother with The Isley Brothers for her 75th birthday.
Hov and Beyoncé gave Kandy and her husband Ronald Isley hugs during the celebration, as captured in a video that Kandy Isley shared on Instagram.
In the clip, Jay can be heard saying to Ronald: “I appreciate you, man. Thank you so much.”
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!”
Jay-Z has consistently acknowledged that his mother, a philanthropist, was the one who instilled in him the work ethic that motivated him to pursue his aspirations of becoming a rapper.
During an appearance with Oprah in 2009, he spoke openly about his mother’s role in his career.
The business mogul recounted, “She worked two jobs and did whatever she had to do for us. My mom always taught me — you know, little boys listen to their moms too much — that whatever you put into something is what you’re going to get out of it,” according to All HipHop.
He added, “I had to fully let go of what I was doing before for the music to be successful. That was a leap of faith for me. I said, ‘I have to give this everything. I couldn’t be successful until I let the street life go.”