Rapper and singer Jelly Roll recently spoke with rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, revealing the reason he hasn’t been able to launch an international career.
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, confessed during his recent conversation with Interview Magazine, which was published Wednesday, that his past felonies have prevented him from traveling abroad.
“I’m so excited [to perform outside the United States]. We’re figuring out the final pieces of some legal puzzles for me to get overseas,” Jelly Roll said, according to Interview Magazine.
INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Jelly Roll performs at the T-Mobile Mane Stage during the 2024 Stagecoach Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 26, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
“Yeah. It’s funny,” Jelly Roll continued. “America has finally agreed to let me leave and give me a passport, but some countries won’t let me come because of my felonies.”
“We’re working on that. I think it’s going to work in my favor,” he added.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – APRIL 02: Jelly Roll, winner of the Male Video of the Year Award for “Son Of A Sinner,” poses in the Winner’s Circle during the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT)
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Bon Jovi then weighed in with his thoughts on the restrictions Jelly Roll has faced.
“I hope so. Those are really archaic rules. Entertainers should be able to go and do their job,” he told DeFord.
Jelly Roll catapulted to fame with hits “Need a Favor,” “Son of a Sinner” and “Save Me,” and has an impressive list of accolades under his belt. He has accepted iHeart awards and taken home hardware at the CMT Music Awards and People’s Choice Awards.
But the famous singer’s life has not always been glamorous. His past includes roughly 40 trips to jail for various drug charges, according to People. He admits he is still paying the high price for the mistakes he’s made.
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Jelly Roll faced his first arrest at age 14, and was arrested two years later for aggravated robbery. He was charged as an adult and served a year behind bars, followed by seven years’ probation, according to People. (RELATED: Jelly Roll Reveals The Most Frivolous Thing He’s Done With His Riches, And It’s Really Not What You Think)
“For the record I’m a kid from Antioch, Tennessee, whose father never left the southeastern region until he was in his 50s,” Jelly Roll said, putting things in perspective. “I still have friends in Antioch who have never left.”
