Infinite Coles recently spoke to Daily Mail about his strained and complex relationship with his father Ghostface Killah, whom he apparently hasn’t spoken to in over a decade. He recently released a few singles from his upcoming album SweetFace Killah (due December 5) that address their long-standing rift.
For those unaware, Coles is an openly gay member of New York City’s ballroom scene, and he says his sexuality is what led to the Wu-Tang Clan legend’s alleged neglect. But that doesn’t mean all his family connections are broken down.
“I’m close to my mom’s side of the family,” the artist reportedly told the publication. “My uncle RZA. I grew up with that side of the family, my cousins. I think when I was a kid I had a great time, you know? But you get older and become yourself, then people either distance themselves or love you for you. As I got older, my dad’s seen some things in me that he didn’t like, and he just distanced himself. He would randomly pop up. There’s not moments I can remember where we were together for a whole month, or a whole week.
Ghostface Killah Son
“It was like, ‘Oh, dad’s in town, maybe he’ll call us up and bring us to a restaurant or something,'” he continued. “But those were my childhood days and I think the shift changed when I started living as who I am, with my sexuality. I think when he found out about it, or started to have thoughts about it, I think that’s when the distance really happened. Because I have brothers and sisters and he always talks to them. […] I’ve always been who I am, and I always remember hearing a lot of the slurs, you know, f***ot, things like that, so it kind of resonated with me growing up.”
“Honestly, my uncle RZA has been amazing. He’s been like a dad. I love him so much, he’s amazing. That is my guy, right there,” Coles remarked. “He believed in me, always, he just didn’t know how to brand me. But I appreciated him being honest with me. He always said, ‘You’ll be bigger than your father.’ He always said that.