Jelly Roll Reflects on Fatherhood: ‘Greatest Gift God Has Ever Given Me’

Published: June 17, 2025

By Gavin Boyle

Jelly Roll’s sweet new release captures how he hopes to keep his daughter safe from the problems that plagued his early life.

“The greatest gift God has ever given me was becoming a father,” Jelly Roll explained. “All these songs I hear people write about their children are really lovey-dovey, and sometimes I felt like I was the only parent in the world who was petrified of passing my generational curses onto my kids. It scared the s*** out of me. And I didn’t think anyone had written a song about that, so to all the fathers out there who have worried that your trauma would affect your child I dedicate this to you today. Happy Father’s Day.”

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As the singer alluded to, the song focuses on the places where he has made mistakes and how he hopes that his daughter will avoid these choices,. Fatherhood, however, has been the biggest blessing in Jelly Roll’s life and saved him from a life of crime after he missed the birth of his daughter because he was in jail.

“I could no longer be selfish. There was something that was solely relying on me,” Jelly Roll said when explaining why the birth of his daughter impacted him so much. “I knew that that was an important task. So I wanted to take it seriously. And I did. I take it very seriously to this day.”

“I got home when she was almost 2,” the singer added. “Her mother, at the time, because I was, rightfully so, a…criminal, wouldn’t let me see her. So I had to go to court. I had to get supervised visits through the courtroom.”

“I had to step that very slow, build a relationship, then six hours on Friday evening, but she had to be home before 10 p.m. I just had to keep going to the court every six months and going, ‘Look, I’m continuing to prove I’m changing.’ Music, like being famous, wasn’t even a thought then. I just wanted to be a good dad,” he continued.

Unfortunately, even though Jelly Roll has completely changed his life, addiction still impacts his daughter’s life, as her mother continues to struggle with substance abuse.

“I’ve seen the effect that it’s had on her. I’ve got a 16, almost 17-year-old upstairs, and I’ve seen the effect that it’s had. Like, it’s really hurt her too. It’s truly affected her life…” Jelly Roll said when a mugshot of his daughter’s mother was shared across the internet. “This is a 16, 17-year-old that knows her mother is a drug addict, but like, her having to see the mugshot of her mother with just meth ate up on her face…I watched her go through it all over again.”

Nonetheless, it is truly amazing how Jelly Roll has turned his life around. As he seeks to live a God-honoring life, he inspires both his daughter and his fans.

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