Jelly Roll has a history of hyping up other performers. The beloved rapper-turned-country sensation memorably told Victoria Monet that he was rooting for her to win the Best New Artist GRAMMY Award. (He was up for the same award.) Recently, the “Need a Favor” singer brought opening act Madeline Merlo onstage to make amends for a previous omission.
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Jelly Roll Gives Madeline Merlo Her Due
Jelly’s wife, Bunnie Xo, commonly joins him onstage to perform “Kill A Man,” off his 2023 record Whitsitt Chapel. However, a scheduling conflict meant the podcaster was missing from her husband’s Wednesday (April 24) show at The Fillmore Detroit.
In her place, the three-time 2024 Country Music Television Award winner brought up Canadian pop-country artist Madeline Merlo. Merlo sang backup on the track’s original recording, Jelly Roll explained to the Michigan crowd. However, she wasn’t credited because “I didn’t know if she’d want to be associated with my white trash a**.”
In typical gushing Jelly Roll fashion, the “Son of a Sinner” singer declared himself “such a fan of hers and her voice.”
The “Same Car” singer then joined him onstage for a duet. Jelly Roll deferred to her for the second verse.
“I love everything about you, Miss Madeline Merlo,” he told her.
The feeling is mutual. Last year, Merlo posted a TikTok video of her singing along to “Kill A Man” in the car. “fun fact: this is my voice in the background on jelly rolls song ‘Kill a Man,’” she wrote in the text overlay. “I’m such a huge Jelly fan so this is so freakin cool.”
The 30-year-old British Columbia native hit No. 5 on Billboard’s Canada Country chart with her 2023 single, “Tim + Faith.”
[RELATED: Madeline Merlo Tries to Outrun the Past in New Video for “Same Car”]
Flava Flav Defends ‘The Nicest Person’ Against Bullying
Also in attendance at Wednesday’s show was Public Enemy hype man Flava Flav, who introduced the “Halfway to Hell” singer.
Recently, fans noted Jelly Roll’s absence from social media. His wife, Bunnie Xo, revealed the reason why during an episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast.
“My husband got off the internet because he is so tired of being bullied about his f**ing weight,” she said.
Jelly Roll hasn’t spoken on the matter. But Flava Flav recently took to social media to defend his friend.
“How dare y’all try to judge my man about his weight and his character,” the rapper said. “… This man’s music has been giving a lot of people hope that’s stranded in the streets, locked up in jails, people that’s on drugs.”
Featured image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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