About Jelly Roll
Jason Bradley DeFord , known professionally as Jelly Roll , is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter from Antioch, Tennessee. Beginning his career in 2003, he rose to mainstream prominence following the release of his 2022 singles "Son of a Sinner" and "Need a Favor".
"Son of a Sinner" won three CMT Music Awards in 2023. That same year, he won for New Artist at the CMA Awards, and was nominated for Best New Artist at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
DeFord was raised in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee. His father was a meat salesman and worked as a bookie on the side; his mother suffered from mental illness and addiction.
From his teenage years into his 20s, Jelly Roll was arrested several times and spent time in jail for various charges/felonies including possession of marijuana and aggravated robbery. While imprisoned, he earned his GED at the age of 23.
Jelly Roll launched his career in hip hop after being inspired by rappers such as Three 6 Mafia, UGK, and 8Ball & MJG. He sold mixtapes out of his car, starting with a string of releases from his first project The Plain Shmear Tape in 2003 then following with the four part Gamblin' on the White Boy series from 2004 to 2011.
His 2010 collaboration "Pop Another Pill" with Memphis rapper Lil Wyte reached over 6.3 million YouTube views. This song led to the album Year Round by the hip-hop group SNO, of which Jelly Roll was a member. Over the next few years, Jelly Roll released many mixtapes and independent solo albums including collaborations with Lil Wyte, Struggle Jennings, Haystak, and Tech N9ne.
Map & Directions To Venue
