As he kicks off his “Beautifully Broken” tour, country-rap star Jelly Roll sat down with Nick Major of the Spout Podcast to share heartfelt reflections on his music, career, and a dream collaboration that still feels surreal — working with Eminem.
Jelly Roll revealed that his tour is off to a phenomenal start, with five consecutive sold-out shows, and spoke openly about the emotional highs and lows of performing live, his past struggles, and the deep impact his music has on fans. More than just a musician, he’s become a storyteller and symbol of perseverance for many.
Jelly Roll Talks Eminem Collaboration: “The Most Unreal Thing in My Career”
Among the most powerful moments in the interview was when Jelly Roll described his experience collaborating with Eminem, calling it one of the biggest highlights of his life.
“Collaborating with Eminem is by far the most unreal thing that’s happened in my career yet. There are probably five people on earth I’d be jittery around — Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Bob Seger, Eminem. I grew up knowing every word to their songs.”
He went on to say that the track Eminem sent reminded him of “Mockingbird” and The Eminem Show era, with storytelling depth and vulnerability that fans love most.
“It felt like the real story-teller Eminem — the ‘Stan’ Eminem, the one who made you feel like you were in his living room, knowing his daughter and his family struggles.”
“Save Me” Becomes a Serendipitous Moment
Jelly Roll believes the collaboration was meant to be, noting that his own heartfelt song “Save Me” was the perfect track to bring them together.
“I feel like ‘Save Me’ is a peek into my soul, and it was so serendipitous that it’s the song that brought us together.”
Real-Life Camcorder Footage Featured in Music Video
He also shared an incredible behind-the-scenes story about the music video, revealing that Eminem used real camcorder footage from his addiction years, adding even more emotional depth to the collaboration.
“That’s not fake. That’s real footage. He had years of tape he hadn’t even gone through from that time. He said he saw that footage either the day he wrote ‘Somebody Save Me’ or right after. It was deep, man.”
Jelly Roll Gets Honest About Meeting Eminem
The interview ended on a lighter note as Jelly Roll admitted to completely embarrassing himself the first time he met Eminem.
“I just started rambling nervous fun facts about myself. He’s not as talkative as me, so I kept filling the silence. I had to apologize — and he just said, ‘It’s all good, dude.’”
