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Get to Know Jelly Roll: Age, Height, Net Worth, and More

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Life often gives us many challenges and obstacles to face for us to reflect on ourselves and discover what our true purposes are. Rapper-turned-country-artist, Jelly Roll, proved that despite the lows in life, you can still get up and face the world with your chin up and high hopes.

In real life, Jelly Roll, or Jason DeFord, is known for his collaborations with Lil Wyte, Yelawolf, Tech N9ne, Struggle Jennings, and Ryan Upchurch. The rapper has been followed by millions of people worldwide since he first released “Pop Another Pill,” a collaboration with Lil Wyte.

More on Jelly Roll

Jelly Roll, born on the 4th of December 1984, grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He is currently 38 years of age and stands at the height of 5 feet and 7 inches. He is happily married to his wife, Bunnie DeFord, famously known as Bunnie Xo (sometimes stylized as Bunnie XO). The couple met each other when Jelly Roll was going through tough times in his life. 

His first collaboration with Lil Wyte, a Memphis rapper, broke out into several opportunities and doors to his blossoming rap career. Since then, Jelly Roll has released a number of striking albums, including The Big Sal Story, Business as Usual, Waylon & Willie, and his latest, Ballads of the Broken. He also dropped platinum and gold-certified singles like “Save Me” and “Son of a Sinner.” 

Songs such as “Fall in the Fall” received a gold certification from the RIAA, “Creature” received platinum, and “Bottle and Mary Jane” received a gold certification. 

Is Jelly Roll a Country Artist?

Jelly Roll is a country artist, but he first fell in love with rap and hip-hop, which is why he released several collaborations with Lil Wyte, DJ Paul, Tech N9ne, and more.

He slowly transitioned to country music in 2017, when he started to release a series of albums with Struggle Jennings called Waylon and Willie. In 2021, he dropped Ballads of the Broken under Jason Aldean’s label, BBR Music Group.

Jelly Roll revealed that because of his first appearance in the Grand Ole Opry, he now desires to become a full-fledged country music artist. He was inspired by another Grand Ole Opry member, Craig Morgan. 

What was Jelly Roll’s Felony?

Jelly Roll ended up in prison due to convictions for felony robbery and drug offenses, as indicated by records from Davidson County Criminal Court. His first adult arrest occurred at the age of 18 in Nashville in March 2002, where he faced an aggravated robbery charge. Along with another defendant, Jelly Roll was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery. He ultimately pleaded guilty to reduced felony robbery charges that year and received a sentence of eight years in prison plus seven years of probation.

After a release from the Tennessee Department of Corrections, he found himself back behind bars in April 2008 for violating the drug-free school zone act. He again pleaded guilty, this time to possession with intent to sell cocaine, and was sentenced to eight more years in prison along with another eight years of probation.

While details about the crimes are not readily available, prison records indicate that his probation concluded on December 16, 2016.

Another turmoil in Jelly Roll’s career (which was set, closed, and done) came when his 2013 Whiskey, Weed, & Waffle House mixtape was changed. The restaurant, Waffle House, threatened Jelly Roll to take legal action for using their name and logo on the mixtape’s cover.

The mixtape’s name was later changed to Whiskey, Weed, & Women.

Jelly Roll’s net worth now sits at $4 million after releasing many albums and mixtapes.

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