Jelly Roll appeared at a recent Kill Tony show and incited the crowd into singing the national anthem, as one does. The stage for the live podcast erupted into pyrotechnics with an American flag waving on the screen in the background as the anthem concluded to great fanfare. A fan posted a video of the unexpected patriotic sing-along on Twitter/X for all to enjoy.
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In other, perhaps less wholesome news, Jelly Roll recently found out the explicit meaning of his stage name. Jason DeFord was given the nickname in childhood and he never shook it. Now, he’s found out there are multiple meanings to the phrase, and they’re not all other names for a sweet cake dessert.
Appearing on Complex Music’s “existential interview show” That’s Deep, Jelly Roll spoke with host Yedoye Travis about some of life’s most complex questions. At one point, Travis brought to light the meaning of the singer’s nickname.
Jelly Roll Discovers the Many Meanings of His Nickname
First, though, Travis explained the more vanilla meanings. For example, a selection of ready-to-sew strips of fabric rolled together is called a jelly roll. Those of you who quilt will already know that. Then, there’s the dessert, better known as a Swiss roll.
“When I was coming up, the primetime real estate on Google was Jelly Roll Morton and the pastry,” said Mr. Roll. “Do you know how long it took me to beat the pastry?”
Speaking of Morton, this is where the explicit meaning arrives. Cover your eyes if you’re under 18. Travis explained that Morton called himself “Jelly Roll” because “at the time … it meant p—y at the time,” he explained.
Jelly Roll, for his part, was excited at the double meaning, exclaiming, “Yes! Alright,” and going on to share that he “loves” the fact that his nickname used to have explicit connotations.
Well, you can’t win them all. Sometimes you just have to take your explicit nickname with you to build a successful music career. This guy has done just that, winning the CMA award for Best New Artist and being nominated for a Grammy Award with Lainey Wilson for “Save Me.” Be sure to keep an eye out for p—Jelly Roll at the Grammys on Sunday, February 4.
Featured Image by Noam Galai/Getty Images
