In a 2021 interview with Billboard, at the beginning of his ascent to stardom, Jelly Roll described his time growing up in Antioch, Tennessee. He fell in love with hip-hop, he said, “not even just music, but the culture – breakdancing, graffiti, freestyling, the clothing.”

At the same time, he was completely oblivious to the bustling country music scene headquartered in Nashville, just 12 miles northwest:

“I didn’t know there was this other country music culture in town.”

If you’ve been paying any attention, you know Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, isn’t just aware of the country music industry now. He’s dominating it. In the past three years, he’s logged four Country Airplay No. 1s, including the two-time platinum smash “Need a Favor,” which also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s rock and Canadian country charts.

And Jelly’s third country album, “Beautifully Broken,” has already hit the top spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, as well as the all-genre Billboard 200, following its release this month.

All this success has catapulted him way past the boundaries of country music. He was the musical guest on the Sept. 28 season premiere of “Saturday Night Live”; he was also featured on the TV series “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone.

But this cross-genre appeal hasn’t come at the expense of his Nashville base. Jelly isn’t just accepted as country music’s newest hit maker. He is welcomed by the machine – applauded, even, for his ability to move audiences with his uniqueness and authenticity.

During a Country Radio Seminar panel titled “Leadership, Strategy, and Optimizing Country’s Surge in 2024,” Cindy Mabe, CEO and Chair of Universal Music Group Nashville, spoke to the need for country music to grow wider instead of just deeper. It’s not enough to make more money from its current base, she........

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