What is Jelly Roll's Net Worth?
Jelly Roll is a rapper and country-rock singer-songwriter who has a net worth of $12 million. Jelly Roll is known for his various collaborations with such fellow rappers as Haystak, Struggle Jennings, Lil Wyte, and Tech N9ne. He has also released many solo mixtapes and studio albums, including "Biggest Loser," "Sobriety Sucks," "Addiction Kills," and "A Beautiful Disaster." In early 2023, Jelly Roll achieved his first number-one single on country radio with "Son of a Sinner," which went on to earn him three CMT Music Awards.
Early Life
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, was born on December 4, 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was raised in the city's Antioch neighborhood.
Recording Career
Taking the rap name Jelly Roll, DeFord released his first studio album, "Year Round," in April of 2011. It was a collaboration with the hip hop group SNO, consisting of BPZ and Lil Wyte, the latter of whom would become one of Jelly Roll's prominent collaborators. About two months later, Jelly Roll released his debut mixtape, "Gamblin on a White Boy 4." Toward the end of the year, he released the studio album "Strictly Business," his first collaboration with rapper Haystak. In 2012, Jelly Roll put out the mixtape "Mid-Grade Miracle (The Boston George Story)" in April and his debut solo studio album, "The Big Sal Story," in October. The following year, he released the mixtape "Whiskey, Weed & Women," as well as two collaborative studio albums: "No Filter," with Lil Wyte, and "Business as Usual," with Haystak. Both albums were solid hits on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2014, Jelly Roll had the mixtape "Biggest Loser" in March and the EP "Whiskey Sessions" to close out the year. His only release in 2015 was the mixtape "Therapeutic Music 5," which launched the single "Smoking Section." Jelly Roll subsequently released the solo studio album "Sobriety Sucks," and then reunited with Lil Wyte for the collaborative sequel album "No Filter 2." Both came out in 2016.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT)
Jelly Roll released two studio albums in 2017: "Addiction Kills" and "Waylon & Willie." The latter was a collaboration with rapper Struggle Jennings, with whom he subsequently recorded the sequel albums "Waylon & Willie II" and "Waylon & Willie III," both released in 2018. Also that year, Jelly Roll released the solo studio album "Goodnight Nashville." In April of 2019, he released the album "Whiskey Sessions II" and the EP "Crosses & Crossroads." Jelly Roll went on to have a big year in 2020, with three studio albums. In March, he released "A Beautiful Disaster," which became his first album to crack the Billboard 200, at number 97. That October, Jelly Roll released another solo album, "Self Medicated." He finished the year with the release of "Waylon & Willie IV," his fourth collaborative album with Struggle Jennings. Jelly Roll's success only grew over the subsequent years. In 2021, he released the album "Ballads of the Broken," which launched his hit single "Son of a Sinner." The song reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 before hitting number one on country radio in early 2023; it went on to win Jelly Roll three CMT Music Awards, including Male Video of the Year. Also from "Ballads of the Broken," Jelly Roll had his first number-one hit on rock radio with his single "Dead Man Walking." His next album was "Whitsitt Chapel," released in 2023.
Live Performances
Jelly Roll has had a number of notable live performances. In late 2021, due to his success with the country song "Son of a Sinner," he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. The next year, in July, he was invited to join country singer Craig Morgan on stage at the Opry to perform the song "Almost Home." Jelly Roll closed out 2022 with a bang, selling out the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to 15,000 fans. He was joined in concert by Sam Hunt, Chris Young, Struggle Jennings, Tech N9ne, and Shinedown, among other artists. Jelly Roll subsequently scheduled a 44-city tour for the summer of 2023 called the Backroad Baptism Tour.
Personal Life
Jelly Roll is married to model and social media personality Bunnie XO (Bunnie DeFord), who hosts her own podcast called "Dumb Blonde." The two got married in 2016, and have a daughter named Bailee. They also have a son from a previous relationship.
Jelly Roll earned his G.E.D. while in jail at the age of 23.
