Country Star Sums Up His ‘Entire’ Message in One Word: ‘Hope’

Published: December 11, 2024

Country Star Sums Up His ‘Entire’ Message in One Word: ‘Hope’

By Movieguide® Contributor

Country star Jelly Roll says he wants to “[give] people hope” through his music, his story and his philanthropic work.

“If I could describe my entire message in one word, it would simply be hope,” he told Variety. “That’s it, man. I’m just giving people hope, dude. I’m giving people the reality that things can change, if you are willing to change it.”

Jelly explained that many people, himself included, can get trapped in a “shame spiral” that keeps them from working to be better.

“I’m always real with people at all times, but a lot of that goes back to shame,” he shared. “I used to be so ashamed of who I was and how I thought, and my actions, that I lied nonstop. I didn’t even think twice. You know what I mean? I just couldn’t admit the truth about anything, to myself, let alone other people. So right or wrong. I came to the realization that if I can be 100% true to who I am in that moment all the time, then I might look back and be a little embarrassed of who I was in that moment, but at least I’ll always know I was being true to who I was in that moment.”

The singer added that his music is one of the ways he hopes to encourage people, especially those who are struggling.

“My music’s for everybody — all in-between, all-encompassing,” Jelly said. “Somebody once told me that 100% of stress is 100% of stress, no matter how big the thermometer is. And that always stuck with me. So whether it’s a bad day, whether it’s a bad week, whether you’ve had a hard life, I try to think about the people that nobody’s thinking about when I’m writing songs.”

In addition to his work as a musician, Jelly has also become a major supporter of incarcerated people, specifically, juveniles. The cause hits close to home — the singer was in and out of juvenile detention centers and prisons before he began his music career.

“It’s important, man. I think it’s important that we give back, especially [to] our kids,” he told PEOPLE. “They were born into just whatever situation it was, and sometimes they can’t see past that situation or that neighborhood or that environment. I just hope to bring hope to that and kind of be a beacon and a light for those kids.”

In another interview with the outlet, Jelly shared, “Philanthropy is the legacy I hope to leave with the music. The music will live on its own… I quit looking at myself as an entertainer. I realized we’re here to serve. That’s the thought when I write, when I perform, when we go feed the homeless, when we go talk to kids at juvenile [detention centers] or jail — we just want to be a good steward with what we got.”