What’s Jelly Roll’s real name?
Introduction
Jelly Roll (real name Jason DeFord) is an American rapper known for his frequent collaborations with several other rappers.
Biography
Jason DeFord was born in Antioch, TN.
Jelly Roll’s early life was characterized by poverty, familial strife, and forays into criminality.
His father left his mother when Jelly Roll was still a teenager, and he was convicted of an armed robbery at the age of 14.
DeFord recounted that he and his mother had nothing, and the only people in his circle who were somewhat affluent were so because they were involved in drug dealing.
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Due to this, DeFord began dabbling in dealing with himself, as a way of supporting himself while he ventured into the world of rap.
He dropped out of school before graduating, and wouldn’t earn his Graduate Equivalent Development (GED) until the age of 24.
Jason also fathered a daughter with a woman who consequently came out as a lesbian while still pregnant with his child.
DeFord has described the difficulties of finding employment as a heavily tattooed, convicted felon in an impoverished area of Tennessee.
As a result of these problems, he ultimately decided upon a rap career.
Rap Career
Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson attend night 2 of the 50th CMA Fest – @Getty
DeFord broke through into the online rap game with his 2010 smash, “Pop Another Pill.” In the track, DeFord collaborated with noted Memphis rapper Lil Wyte; the song currently sits at 6.7 million views.
Jason capitalized on the popularity of his debut with several mixtapes, and he released his first album, The Big Sal Story, in October 2012.
He was also a participant in nine different collaborative albums with a number of fellow Southern rappers.
Legal Battle With Waffle House
Jelly Roll’s 2013 album, Whiskey, Weed and Waffle House, met with legal pushback from the eponymous fast food chain after they took exception to his use of their distinctive yellow-tiled logo on the artwork for the album.
Jason initially took the restaurant chain’s legal interest as a sign that he had made it, exclaiming to friends that Waffle House was suing him. However, the financial cost of the litigation soon took its toll; DeFord was forced to remove the logo after incurring around $10,000 in legal fees.
Jelly Roll initially vowed to stop eating at the chain but has since confessed that he is unable to stay away, as it is his favorite eatery.
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Personal Life
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DeFord has, as previously mentioned, a daughter from a previous relationship.
He is married to the model and musician, Bunnie DeFord (AKA “Bunnie XO”).
The two met in Las Vegas while Jelly Roll was on tour, and according to both of them, it was “love at first sight.”
In March 2021, after five years of marriage, the two bought their first house together.
Bunnie also hosts her podcast, “Dumb Blonde,” and has featured in Jelly Roll’s music videos as well as putting out a few of her own.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo attend the “Jelly Roll: Save Me” Documentary World Premiere – @Getty
What is Jelly Roll’s real name?
So, if you ever find yourself wondering, “what is Jelly Roll’s real name?” now you know! The answer is Jason DeFord.
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Lee Parry is a writer and blogger originally from Manchester, UK, and he has a B.A. in Modern Languages from Manchester Metropolitan University. Parry occasionally teaches English and spends most of his free time reading.