Jelly Roll's Net Worth In 2024 Is a True Rags to Riches Story
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Jelly Roll's net worth in 2024 is far from where it was just a few years ago. The artist's retelling of his success story is simple.
Speaking to Billboard from the Whitsitt Chapel—his second country album's namesake—in June 2023, he explained, "I got baptized in here some 20 years ago and have since done nothing but go to prison, treat a bunch of people wrong, make a lot of mistakes in life, turn it around, [then] go on to be a f–king multimillionaire and help as many people as I possibly can. It's the f–king wildest story ever to me—maybe because I’m the one f–king in the middle of it—but that sh-t's crazy."
While it seems like to many that Jelly Roll was an overnight success, he was far from it—releasing more than a dozen mixtapes and albums before becoming a bona fide star. Find out Jelly Roll's net worth and how he earned it, starting truly from the bottom.
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How did Jelly Roll become famous?
Jelly Roll was born Jason DeFord in Nashville.
His mother struggled with mental illness and addiction, and his father was a bookie and a meat salesman. In part because he was following the examples set for him, DeFord began selling drugs at a young age—and including mix CDs with his supply.
When he was just 16, DeFord and several others were arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and marijuana possession with intent to sell. Though he was a minor, DeFord was charged as an adult.
"I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime," he told Billboard. "This is a grown man looking back at a 16-year-old kid that made the worst decision that he could have made in life and people could have got hurt and, by the grace of God, thankfully, nobody did."
He faced up to 20 years in prison. DeFord served a year behind bars, plus seven years of probation for the offenses, but because Tennessee has a zero-tolerance policy for violent offenses, that felony charge will be with him for the rest of his life.
"They were talking about giving me more time than I’d been alive,” he said of a potential 20-year sentence. "I hadn't hit my last growth spurt. I was charged as an adult years before I could buy a beer, lease an apartment, get a pack of cigarettes. I feel like the justice system at that point kind of parked me on my only set path."
When he got out of prison, DeFord focused on making music, first in the hip-hop genre, and sold mixes out of the trunk of his car, he recalled to The New York Times. A 2010 track he and rapper Lil Wyte collaborated on, "Pop Another Pill," racked up more than 6 million YouTube views at the time, generating some buzz for DeFord and his then-rap group SNO. In 2013, he released a mix called Whiskey, Weed, & Waffle House, which generated some attention after Waffle House threatened to sue if he didn't change it—leading him to retitle the album Whiskey, Weed, & Women with the clever use of a "Cease and Desist" sticker over the "Waffle House" that had previously been visible on the cover.
DeFord's big breakout came in 2021, when he first performed at the Grand Ole Opry and released his country debut Ballads of the Broken. He's since become one of the biggest artists in the country genre—but his music intersects and transcends several categories, scoring hits not just on the country charts, but also rock and alternative.
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What is Jelly Roll's net worth in 2024?
Jelly Roll's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $4 million. While he's certainly wealthy, because of his felony record, he has significantly less class privilege than many other artists in his tax bracket—and that can impact his income opportunities and bottom line in big ways over time.
Jelly Roll faces difficulties touring overseas (he only recently was able to get a passport) and was forced to cancel a London show as a result.
"The trick is when America finally says, ‘We’ll let you leave,’ the amount of countries that won’t let you come in," he told Billboard.
He also faces some obstacles at home as well, like when he tried purchasing a home in a community with its own private golf course and was rejected because of his priors.
"Imagine changing your life in such a way that you can afford the kind of house in this community I was looking at," he said. "My money was welcome, but I wasn't, all because of something I did [almost] 24 years ago."
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How much does it cost to book Jelly Roll for a show?
You better have some deep pockets to book Jelly Roll: It's estimated it'll cost between $200,000 to as much as $749,000 to get him to perform for you. (If you can afford it, it surely seems like money well spent to us.)
How much money did Jelly Roll make?
Jelly Roll has an estimated net worth of $4 million in 2024.
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How much does Jelly Roll make per concert?
Jelly Roll's specific income per concert isn't publicly known, as he shares the grosses with opening acts, crew, venue staff and others. That said, most of the arena dates on his Backroad Baptism Tour are sold out, so he's likely making a good living on the road.
How much does Jelly Roll make per year?
With a net worth of about $4 million since his 2021 country debut, Jelly Roll likely makes in the range of $1 million per year, which may fluctuate up or down depending on whether he's on tour or releasing new music at a given time.
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How many songs did Jelly Roll make?
Jelly Roll has well over 100 songs throughout his mixtapes, collaborations and albums spanning the rap, rock and country genres.
How many albums did Jelly Roll make?
Including his mixtapes and collaboration projects, Jelly Roll has released a whopping 28 albums so far.
