He began his life in a prison cell. Now he stands under the bright lights at the Grammys. The story of rapper turned country singer Jelly Roll is more than a simple article. It is a picture of a man completely changed. In this deep look by CBS Sunday Morning we follow Jelly Roll. His real name is Jason DeFord. We go from his time behind bars to his fame as a country star. It is a tale as raw as his songs. He grew up around drugs and crime and lost hopes. His youth was a mess. But he always had one thing. He had music.
We see old video and honest interviews. We see a man who never thought he would live long. He never thought he would succeed. His early rap music was real and rough. It was filled with the same darkness from his childhood. But then something shifted. He began to sing. And when that rough voice full of hurt sang the first line of Save Me everything changed. Country music did not just let him in. It wanted him. The hurt in his voice made people pay attention. The truth in his words made them stay.
The journey of rapper-turned-country singer Jelly Roll
His fans and people who do not know him have all shown him love. One crying mother says he speaks for people like me. She says he sings what we feel. That is why this is more than a success story. It is a rope thrown to someone drowning. Jelly Roll does not hide where he came from. He shows it like a medal. He does it so other people know they are not the only one. It does not matter if he is singing in a rehab or a jail for kids or the Grand Ole Opry. His message is always the same. You are not too far gone.
That message becomes a roar in his newest song. The song is Dead End Road from the Twisters album. This time he is not just thinking about the past. He is running from it. The words feel like a secret he is telling. He sings if I am ever gonna make it on these streets of gold I gotta quit living on a dead end road. It feels fast and tough and real. It does not try to make things look pretty.
Jelly Roll – Dead End Road (From Twisters: The Album) [Official Music Video]
The music sounds like tough outlaw country. But Jelly Roll’s singing is still very human. You can hear the pain. But you can also hear the fight in his voice. This is not the sound of a man who has quit. It is the sound of a man fighting with everything he has to be different.
This is why Jelly Roll keeps getting bigger. He is not perfect. He is just real. You should follow him on YouTube and Instagram and TikTok. Because whether it is a story or a song or a new start he will make you believe it is important.