So many artists nowadays find themselves questioning where they belong in country music anymore. Additionally, not every newcomer arrives with genuine intentions. You can tell when the new exports lead with the desire to capitalize on Nashville's big resurgence. None of this works if you don't accept country music for its own merits and learn its history, the good and the bad. Jelly Roll is one of these artists, where he starts off as a rapper before making the pivot. Now, he's stressing how important it is not to come into country without knowing your stuff.
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Jelly Roll Talks About The Importance of Knowing Your History in Country
Recently, Jelly Roll, real name Jason Bradley DeFord, tagged along with Ernest to hop on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast. There, they talk shop for three hours, everything from the country heavyweight's health journey to the state of country music today. Most notably, Ernest and Jelly Roll tackle the importance of new artists knowing the history in Nashville. Ultimately, Ernest kind of shrugs that it may not matter in the grand scheme of things. However, he does feel like it matters and artists should hold a measure of responsibility of keeping the classics alive.
Jelly Roll shares similar sentiments. He believes that the best artists will find valuable community with others who want to uphold high standards in country. "My second Grand Ole Opry performance, I sang Waylon. Because it was important to me," he emphasizes. "Like he said, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, and to the community, it matters to some. I just love country music. Always have. We flock towards the people (that know their history)."
Ernest and Jelly Roll are right. The music usually suffers when you can tell certain artists are faking it 'til they make it. Not only should people have the discernment to tell but they should also interrogate those who aren't honest in their intentions. It's always been about the music, no other factor should be considered in all of this.
