Jelly Roll Says He Would Give Up Music: ‘If God Tells Me to Go Work at a Homeless Shelter, I’m Outta Here’

Jelly Roll has earned three Grammy Awards and a Billboard 200 chart-topping album, and has been inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. His Cinderella story as a rapper-turned-country singer who went from being incarcerated to being a chart-topping artist has become an inspirational story. But could he give all that up if he felt led to?

Speaking with Y’all Access Radio’s Kelly Sutton backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in a post shared on social media Sept. 13, Jelly Roll discussed his future in music — and it seems like he is keeping his plans flexible and would be content with trading in his music career if he felt that’s what he needed to do.

“Everything that Jason [DeFord] or Jelly Roll wanted to do in the music business, I’ve done now, so at this point, I really need to go talk to God and see if he wants me to stick around, or what he wants me to do next,” said Jelly, who has landed 22 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

He added, “If God tells me to go work at a homeless shelter in Paducah, Ky., I’m outta here … y’all will never see me again, and I’ll be working at a … he gave me everything I ever wanted, man — Grammys, ACMs, CMAs, I’m a member of the Grand Ole Opry, like God has done it.”

The past several months have been filled with highs and lows for Jelly Roll. He earned a trio of Grammy wins back in February, but also, he and Bunnie Xo revealed that they divorced after nearly a decade of marriage. Additionally, the first six shows on his tour with Post Malone were postponed, with Post Malone noting it was due to a scheduling conflict as he was working on new music. That same month, Jelly Roll he did embark on his The Little Ass Shed Tour in May, with artists including Kashus Culpepper.

Jelly Roll also noted in the interview that he’s looking at taking a break from the road.

“This is deeper than the road. Me being at the Opry tonight is a fluke,” he said. “I’m fixing to take just some time off. I just gotta go do a little bit of work on myself to make sure that I’m all the way ready. I’m completely sober, though. I’m clear-headed, and I’m deep in therapy, I’m deep in my Bible, but I think that I gotta separate from the chaos of the business for me to really hear what what God wants for me to do next.”

Jelly Roll’s recent Opry performance was a surprise appearance to help honor the late Dolly Parton. He joined Carly Pearce to perform a rendition of Parton’s “9 to 5.”