Jelly Roll Brings Love, Light & Music To The Oregon State Penitentiary

Jelly Roll is always one to make time to give back to others. Even as the rapper-turned-country-artist is on his Beautifully Broken Tour , he made sure to make the most out of an opportunity that was presented to him. While he stopped out in Portland, Oregon, Jelly Roll came through on a promise that he made to a friend to visit the Oregon State Penitentiary while he was in town. Jelly described how it came to be in detail with an Instagram post from the visit: "My brother Cam Hanes called me a few months back telling me about a trip he had to the Oregon State Penitentiary. I was as excited as he was about it, and after we chatted for a minute he told me that he had an idea that maybe I could come with him next time and sing songs. I told him right then we was going to make it happen. Fast forward, yesterday was the first time they let live music on the Prison Yard of Oregon State Penitentiary in 20 years. It felt so good bringing a little light to such a dark place." Jelly Roll played a number of hits for the inmates of OSP standing in the prison yard. He even played Johnny Cash's classic "Folsom Prison Blues," which was obviously a good selection that matched the moment. And though the music was greatly appreciated, it was the time the Nashville native took to meet with prisoners and sign their stuff that meant the most to those who were there. As always, Jelly Roll went to the prison with a message of hope, and even left an inspiring note underneath the Instagram post he dedicated to the visit: "I am a firm believer that if we commit crimes we should do our time and be held accountable for our actions , but I also believe that every human deserves love no matter how bad of a decision they have made. It felt good to go love on these guys. I remember being in a dark place and no one ever coming through and showing us any hope of changing the path of our lives. If one inmate was inspired to do better by my presence yesterday it was worth my weight in gold to stop by and sing. Thank you to the staff and especially the captains. It was chicken soup for the soul. I’m sure I speak for Cam and myself when I say we came into that Penitentiary hoping to bless people and left feeling blessed." https://www.instagram.com/p/C_eBOVzylwT/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=531c2a41-64b8-4adc-8f93-a0ad52b73e48&img_index=1 It never gets old seeing artists give back to those who are struggling - especially considering Jelly Roll used to be in the shoes of some of those prisoners. The 39-year-old has certainly turned his life around now, but that doesn't keep him from wanting to spend time with the less fortunate. In his eyes, one visit can change an inmate's life, and as Jelly said himself, he wishes someone would have come and given him some hope in some of his darkest times. So that's why Jelly Roll tries to act as a light to so many, and you can see him in action at the Oregon State Penitentiary in the video below: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_eHOgYSgR6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link