Jelly Roll has admitted he is struggling to book a world tour due to his criminal record.
The Tennessee country singer and rapper (real name Jason DeFord) opened up to Jon Bon Jovi in a conversation with Interview Magazine about his legal issues. DeFord was previously jailed several times, some of which were due to drug charges.
In his interview, DeFord shared he was “figuring out the final pieces of some legal puzzles for me to get overseas,” adding: “Itâs funny, America has finally agreed to let me leave and give me a passport, but some countries wonât let me come because of my felonies.
“Weâre working on that. I think itâs going to work in my favour.”
DeFord has previously opened up about his past with drug addiction, sharing his experiences in an emotive plea to Congress to implement anti-fentanyl legislation.
The drug has been in the news frequently of late, such as with the death of rapper Coolio who died after an accidental overdose involving fentanyl last year. Priscilla Presleyâs son, Navarone Garibaldi, also opened up recently about his âunbearableâ fentanyl addiction which he said nearly killed him and credited his mother for helping him to get clean.
Speaking to the Senate banking, housing and urban affairs committee, DeFord said: âIâve attended more funerals than I care to share with yâallâŠI could sit here and cry for days about the caskets Iâve carried of people I love dearly, deeply in my soul. Good people, not just drug addicts. Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people.â
âI brought my community down. I hurt people. I was the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about, just like these drug dealers are doing right now when theyâre mixing every drug on the market with fentanyl and theyâre killing the people we love.
âI suggest that we stand up and do more as fast as we possibly can.â
The singer was also defended by rapper Flava Flav after he announced he had quit social media due to body-shaming and bullying.
On X/Twitter, Flav said of the bullying: âYâall gone and bullied one of THE NICEST guys off social media. My man helping so many people every day better their lives,â Flavor Flav wrote in an Instagram Story. âLOVE me some Jelly Roll and Bunnie. NOT COOL.â
He added he âfelt the need to stand up for Jelly Roll” as “that man does so much for people and communities through his music and activism.â
In other news, Jelly Roll has performed ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ with Lana Del Rey at Hangout Festival.
The post Jelly Roll struggling to book world tour due to criminal record appeared first on NME.
