Jelly Roll has had a wildly successful come-up in the past decade, from his first step into country music, signing with a Nashville label, and eventually becoming one of the hottest country stars making music right now. His newest album Beautifully Broken is dropping on October 11, and it deals with mental health, overcoming addiction, love, loss, and standing up for yourself in a harsh world.
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Recently, Jelly Roll spoke about what led him to his current stage of life and music. Speaking with Rolling Stone, he admitted that it took him a long time to stop thinking like a criminal, and he also gave some insight into the album. One of the more interesting tidbits he revealed is that he has his friends’ names tattooed on his arms. What do Jelly Roll’s friends think of his major rise to stardom?
“I’m looking down on my right wrist right now and it says ‘Rell.’ Rell is coming on this tour to work with my wife,” Jelly began. “I see Mondo, God rest his soul, he passed away. I see R-Dub. He just got married. We’re still dear friends.”
Jelly Roll is Bringing His Friends On Tour, Explains How They Feel About His Rise to Fame
He continued, “These are all my Antioch guys. I see Hylyte on my left arm, who was my original DJ. We started together 17 years ago, right when I got out of jail. When I was in a position where I was like, ‘Yo, we should hire a DJ,’ it was a no-brainer. He’s with me now DJing the whole tour.”
Jelly Roll went on to explain how often he sees his friends and how they feel about his career. “They are so understanding of where I’m at,” he said. “These guys will see me every four months at a show. They’re never bitter about it, never upset, just always a big smile, always glad to be around.”
There’s also another side of the coin, Jelly Roll admitted. Some people in his life and hometown don’t feel the same way that his friends do. “Now, there are obviously people where I’m from that don’t feel that way. They feel like I don’t do enough, and no matter how much I do for the city, if you’re not doing for them directly… you know what I mean?” He added, “Everybody has an opinion of how you should be when you are successful.”
Featured Image by John Nacion/Billboard via Getty Images
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