Jelly is no longer a Felly. Jelly Roll was pardoned of his felonies by the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, on December 18. The country rapper, born Jason DeFord, was convicted of robbery and drug felonies in Tennessee when he was 17 and 23. With the pardon, it will make it easier for Jelly Roll to travel and perform internationally. “His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee told AP News. He met with Lee in his office on Thursday, and as Lee granted him clemency, the two embraced in front of a Christmas tree. This pardon is supported by the Tennessee Board of Parole, which unanimously approved a recommendation to pardon the musician in April 2025. The rapper has already served time in prison, so a Tennessee pardon is a state of forgiveness for past crimes and restores civil rights like voting.
Throughout Jelly Roll’s discography, you’ll find his story of redemption. “These back roads got me/These pills pretend to be my friend/I’m done for the last time/I’m lying to myself again,” he sings in his 2021 song, “Son of a Sinner.” He struggled with addiction and troubles with the law that began when he was 14 years old. “The same year that I got baptized, I got arrested, and that started what would be a 10-year cycle of incarceration in and out,” Jelly Roll told the Grammys. He missed the birth of his daughter because he was incarcerated in 2008, and since then, he has made it his mission to get his life together, with the help of his now-wife, Bunnie, whom he married in 2016. Since he’s gotten sober, he’s testified in front of Congress to pass anti-fentanyl legislation. “At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking impact of fentanyl,” Jelly Roll stated in 2024, per The Hill. “I see fans grappling with this tragedy in the form of music, that they seek solace in music and hope that their experiences won’t befall others.”
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