Jelly Roll, the chart-topping artist known for his hit “Need a Favor,” recently opened up about his rocky road to success and his ongoing journey of accountability and healing. In a candid interview on On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast, the Grammy-nominated singer shared deeply personal reflections on his past, including his teenage years involved in crime and his desire to make amends for the harm he caused.
Regret and Seeking Forgiveness
During the interview, Jelly Roll revealed a strong desire to reach out to the individuals he robbed over marijuana when he was just 15 years old. At the time, he was charged as an adult with aggravated robbery and faced a potential 20-year sentence. Ultimately, he served over a year behind bars, followed by more than seven years on probation. Reflecting on the crime, Jelly expressed regret and a hope to make amends.
“I really want to have a conversation with them. I’ve thought about reaching out,” he told Shetty. Despite the time that has passed—24 years—he still thinks about the victims. “I just don’t know how that would even start… I’ve obviously dramatically changed. I was 15, dude… I still had my high voice when I did that robbery.” Jelly Roll shared that he would apologize, take full accountability, and ask for forgiveness if given the chance.
A Life Transformed
Looking back, Jelly Roll feels disconnected from the person he once was. “I had no business taking from anybody,” he said, reflecting on the entitlement and anger that drove his behavior as a teenager. He now recognizes how deeply flawed that mindset was and is committed to proving that he’s grown. “I hope they would see that I’ve made it my life’s mission to change… I think people cheer for me because they see a little bit of me in them, or they see their cousin — I’m a family member, they relate, and I speak for an unspoken group of people.”
The artist believes that his success has given him a platform to inspire others to change. “I hope they would forgive me,” he said, emphasizing how important it is for him to show that his transformation is sincere and ongoing.
From Darkness to Accountability
Jelly Roll admitted that the person he is today would be unrecognizable to those who knew him during his troubled youth. “I was still a bad person in my early thirties… but I mean, I was a really horrible kid all the way into my mid-twenties,” he confessed. He talked about how, for years, he failed to take accountability for his actions, always blaming circumstances or others. “It took years of work to just break that,” he said.
Today, Jelly Roll is not only focused on his own redemption but also on using his music and platform to help others find their way out of dark places. He explained that forgiving his younger self was one of the hardest but most necessary steps in his journey.
Moving Forward with Purpose
Jelly Roll’s raw honesty about his past and his mission to heal old wounds reflects his commitment to growth, both personally and professionally. As he continues to share his story and inspire fans through his music, Jelly Roll’s vulnerability shines as a testament to the power of change and the importance of taking responsibility for past actions.
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