Jelly Roll used his Thanksgiving holiday to give back to those in need, showing gratitude by serving meals to inmates at the very jail where he was once incarcerated. The 40-year-old rapper-turned-country star, born Jason DeFord, made it a point to ensure that no one was left out of the holiday celebrations, particularly those who couldn’t be with their families.
The Antioch, Tennessee native helped serve 300 holiday meals to inmates at the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Nashville, offering them a warm meal in lieu of spending Thanksgiving with their loved ones. Jelly Roll’s visit was captured in a heartwarming video shared on social media by Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall. In the clip, Jelly Roll, set to his hit song “Need A Favor,” can be seen interacting with the incarcerated men, who greeted him with a round of applause.
“During this season, I’d like to give thanks for giving Jelly Roll. Last night, he provided a holiday meal to 300 inmates and staff on the same site where he was once incarcerated,” a post from Sheriff Hall read. “Moments like this show the impact one person can make when they choose to lift others up.”
Jelly Roll’s connection to the prison system is personal. Having faced legal troubles and time in juvenile detention as a young man, his journey to success and redemption has been a long one. After learning he was going to become a father, he made a conscious decision to change his life and never return to jail. This transformative decision helped him eventually build a career as a respected artist and become a loving husband and father.
In addition to his work with the prison system, Jelly Roll also volunteered at the Nashville Rescue Mission’s Great Thanksgiving Day Banquet, further embodying the spirit of generosity. “Any day is a good day to serve. I want to bring my boys here and pour into the graduates from this program, which is why we’re here. But the Nashville community, nothing in the world means more to me,” Jelly Roll said in an interview with WKRN.
The artist, who has traveled the world, emphasized how much he cherishes his hometown of Nashville, acknowledging that it shaped him into the person he is today. “I can now say that I’m an artist who has traveled the world, but there’s no place like home. This is the city that made me who I am and gave me my spirit for giving.”
From serving meals to inmates to assisting those in need in his hometown, Jelly Roll continues to prove that his heart is as big as his success.
