Is Struggle Jennings Related to Jelly Roll? The Truth Behind Their Friendship

If you are a fan of country rap music, you might have heard of Struggle Jennings and Jelly Roll, two of the most popular artists in the genre. They have collaborated on several music projects, including the Waylon & Willie album series, which pays homage to their country music influences. But are they related by blood or just by music? Here is the truth behind their friendship and family background.

Struggle Jennings: Grandson of Country Music Royalty

Struggle Jennings, whose real name is William Curtis Harness Jr., was born on May 31, 1980, in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the grandson of instrumental rock guitarist Duane Eddy and country musician Jessi Colter, who was married to country music legend Waylon Jennings from 1969 until his death in 2002. Struggle Jennings is also the nephew of Shooter Jennings, who is a singer-songwriter and producer.

Struggle Jennings grew up surrounded by music, but he also faced many challenges in his life. He struggled with addiction, poverty, and legal troubles, which led him to serve time in prison for drug-related charges in 2011. He released his first album, I Am Struggle, in 2013 while incarcerated. After being released from prison in 2016, he resumed his music career and signed with Yelawolf’s Slumerican label.

Struggle Jennings has released several solo and collaborative albums since then, including Return of the Outlaw EP (2016), The Widow’s Son (2019), Troubadour of Troubled Souls (2021), and Outlaw Shit (2021) with Adam Calhoun. He has also worked with his mother Jenni Eddy Jennings and his daughter Brianna Harness on some projects.

Jelly Roll: A Self-Made Country Rap Star

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, was also born in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 4, 1986. He grew up in a rough neighborhood and started rapping at an early age. He was influenced by various genres of music, including hip hop, rock, and country. He faced many hardships in his life as well, such as addiction, homelessness, and legal issues.

Jelly Roll started his music career by releasing mixtapes and collaborating with other rappers such as Lil Wyte, Haystak, and Tech N9ne. He gained more recognition after appearing on Yelawolf’s Wyte Dawg mixtape in 2013. He also signed with Slumerican label and became friends with Struggle Jennings.

Jelly Roll has released several solo and collaborative albums over the years, including The Big Sal Story (2012), Sobriety Sucks (2016), A Beautiful Disaster (2020), and Self Medicated (2020). He has also broken records on the Billboard charts with his songs such as “Save Me” and “Son of a Sinner”.

Despite being born in the same city, the two artists come from different family backgrounds and do not share familial relations. However, Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings’ shared experiences with addiction and mental health struggles have brought them together and created a strong bond. They have been best friends for over 20 years and have supported each other through thick and thin.

They have also made music together that reflects their personal stories and their mutual respect for each other. They have released four Waylon & Willie albums since 2017, which honor their country music roots and showcase their rap skills. They have also collaborated on other songs such as “Hard to Hate”, “Fall in the Fall”, and “Love Won”.

Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings are not related by blood, but they are related by music and friendship. They are two of the most talented and authentic artists in the country rap scene today.

Doms Desk

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