Infinite Coles, son of Wu-Tang Clan founding member Ghostface Killah (Dennis Coles), has opened up about his decade-long estrangement with his father due to his sexuality. The complex family issue has also inspired him to delve into the hip-hop music scene with his new double A-side single, “SweetFaceKillah/Dad & I” released last month.

What did Infinite Coles say about his strained relationship with his father?

Coles, a proud and openly gay artist, reflected on his childhood, recalling the exact moment his father began to pull away from him, even while maintaining contact with his other siblings.

“As I got older my dad’s seen some things in me that he didn’t like and he just distanced himself,” Coles said in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail. “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.”

Coles described his father and Wu-Tang’s music as hardcore hip-hop filled with homophobic references, which he often heard throughout his childhood. Despite this, the 31-year-old has always been unapologetically himself, though those experiences contributed to their now-estranged relationship.

‘I try to give him some grace’

“I’ve always been who I am, and I always remember hearing a lot of the slurs, you know, f**got, things like that, so it kind of resonated with me growing up,” he recalled, per the Daily Mail.

He continued, “In rap you can hear there’s a lot [of homophobia]. But I try to give him grace because I know his dad wasn’t there for him when he was a child, so I don’t always want to blame him – he doesn’t know how to be a father because he didn’t have one.”

Through his own music, Coles sought to differentiate himself from Killah’s approach to hip-hop music. In the lyrics to “SweetFaceKillah” and “Dad & I,” Coles offers two different sides of his strained relationship with his father, singing and rapping over melodic sounds and catchy beats.

Coles addressed his family ties in ‘SweetFaceKillah/Dad & I’ lyrics

“How you in a Mack truck, but forget you a father/I be seeing n****s hating, but I don’t even bother/Is it me? Am I not your cup of tea?/Are my pants not low, like your self-esteem?/Do I need to f**k a bitch, just so you could see?” he raps in the nearly three-minute song.

Meanwhile, in “Dad & I,” the Staten Island native calls out his father with a direct message: “You never talk to me, said I’m not living right/ You tell me to man up, yea/ When I put on makeup, yea,” he sings in the three-minute and eighteen-second track.

“You always asked for change but wouldn’t do your part/ Nobody’s perfect, no/ Can’t you see that I’m worth it?”

While both songs deliver strong messages to his father, Coles emphasizes that they are not diss tracks aimed at Killah. On Friday, Sept. 19, a fan took to X, formerly Twitter, suggesting the songs were shots at the rapper, writing, ‘Ghostface Killah’s son Infinite Coles’ disses him in new track 👀.'”

Coles responded, “NOT A DISS !!! But thank you so much ✨.”

RZA provided a support system for Cole’s

While Coles and his father have drifted apart, he credits his uncle, Wu-Tang founding member RZA (Robert Diggs), for providing the consistent emotional and financial support that he needed. RZA is the brother of Coles’ biological mother.

“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 said.

‘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,” he added.

With the forthcoming release of his new project, Coles hopes people will connect with his music on a deeper level, beyond the typical messages discussed in music these days.

“I have hope people see me for me. With this album, I plan to really take off. I feel like it’s my time. I feel like I stand out from lots of other artists, especially in my community, because I’m talking about things that I never hear anyone talk about,” he told Vibe.

Cole’s debut album, SweetFaceKillah, drops Dec. 5.