Jelly Roll starting writing poems as a child, and by middle school those poems had evolved into rap verses. Then came Limewire and making mixtapes. As an independent artist, he released nearly two dozen projects, including collaborative albums with Lil Wyte, Struggle Jennings and Haystak, and appeared on Ryan Upchurch’s 2017 album King of Dixie.
Last year, Jelly Roll’s career reached a new milestone with the intense ballad “Save Me.” It was the first song he sang his lead vocal instead of rapping. His powerful voice and the track’s vulnerable lyrics resonated with listeners, earning Jelly Roll his first Gold-certified song from the Recording Industry Association of America. On his new album, except for a sole rap verse, Jelly Roll sings — and bares his soul — more than ever.
“It’s the first where I’m leaning into nothing but singing,” he says. “And I was scared. I’m still a little uncomfortable in my voice, to be honest. But ‘Save Me’ was a breakthrough for me, because people could really hear my voice and pain — and I sing from a lifetime of hurt.”
Both in interviews and in music, Jelly Roll is open about his struggles with addiction. In his teens and early twenties, he was in and out of jail. As a teen, he was charged with robbery and at 21, he was charged with possession with intent to distribute.
“In the beginning, I did a lot of drugs. I drank a lot of codeine, a lot of cough syrup,” he explains. “I took a lot of Xanax, did a lot of cocaine, just really took it overboard. I’ve had years — dude, I don’t remember years. Also, addiction for me is more than just my problems. My child’s mother disappeared from her life for almost five years because of a heroin addiction. Thankfully, she’s sober and back in her life now. My mother has struggled with addiction her whole life. When you grow up in a middle- and lower-class community, no one sees the effects of drug abuse like those people.”
On his new album, several songs address Jelly Roll’s past struggles head on. “Sober” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Dead Man Walking” detail the internal struggle to find peace and balance after battling addiction.
“The thing about the addictive personality is that everything is in [extremes],” he says. “I’ve woken up hungover and told myself a thousand times that I’m never going to drink like that again,” he says. “And then you go get drunk that night or a few nights later. With this album, especially songs like ‘Son of a Sinner,’ I’m trying to say that there can be a balance.”
Perhaps his favorite track on the album is a scratch vocal demo of “Mobile Home,” which centers on being true to yourself.
You can find his music here.
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