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Jelly Roll

Checking in at six feet one inches and over 350 pounds, not to mention covered in tattoos, it’s impossible to ignore Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord in a room. And that’s before his booming country-twanged voice enters the conversation. “I’m just a regular fat piece of white trash with some real people that relate,” he loudly explains with a wide grin, sending everyone else within earshot into riotous laughter. For the 27-year-old Jelly, a nickname he picked up from his mother and kept to honor an incarcerated friend, humor has always been a way to cope with the struggle he would go through in life. Growing up in the rougher areas of Nashville, TN, particularly the Southside city known as Antioch, Jelly got an early taste for street life and fast cash. “I’ve always joked that Antioch is the cultural melting pot the government uses to test how different ethnicities live together in a lower and middle class area,” He laughs referring to the city’s racially diverse, albeit economically bleak make up. Captivated by the gritty rhymes of local legends such as Pistol, Quanie Cash, Haystak, and Kool Daddy Fresh, it wasn’t long before the music would mirror Jelly Roll’s personal life. Catching his first case at age 14, Jelly would endure an ongoing cycle of incarceration until 2009 which would include intent to distribute cocaine charges and multiple probation violations.Continuing to soak up the sounds from southern artists such as UGK, 8ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, Chamillionare and Paul Wall, it was during these particularly dark times that Jelly would turn to crafting his own rhymes as a therapeutic means to deal with his trials and tribulations: “My music is all based on emotions and stories from my life as well as people around me. I want to convey to people the power of faith and perseverance and I hope that it helps them to find a light in whatever darkness they may be going through in there life.” In the summer of 2010, Jelly Roll’s “Pop Another Pill” collaboration with Memphis luminary Lil Wyte would go on to garner over 1 million YouTube views. This viral sensation lead to the SNO group album Year-Round released on Hypnotized Minds in April 2011, a project executive-produced by Oscar winners DJ Paul and Juicy J. Jelly continued his successful 2011 campaign by releasing Gambling On A Whiteboy 4 during the summer and combining his talents with Haystak for the successful Strictly Business joint-album in November.

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Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score. Being considered a Creole in the Crescent City had its advantages in the fact ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score. Being considered a Creole in the Crescent City had its advantages in the fact ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score. Being considered a Creole in the Crescent City had its advantages in the fact ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today! The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more. Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today! The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more. Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jelly Roll Morton's birthday today!

The city of New Orleans has the distinction of being the ‘birthplace of jazz’ so its appropriate that in New Orleans in or around 1885 to 1890 would be born the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz”. Ferdinand Joseph Lemott (Lamothe) and his story is one of mystery, legend, genius, with an incredulous outcome, and original musical score... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...

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