This week’s episode of Popcast (Deluxe), the weekly culture roundup show on YouTube hosted by Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli, features an interview with the rising country star Jelly Roll, the winner of the Country Music Association award for new artist of the year and Grammy nominee for best new artist, discussing:

0:00 Introduction

2:26 His early career as a rapper in Tennessee and hiphop’s influence on his musicmaking

12:30 Turning to selling drugs as a teenager

19:18 Great rap from Nashville and the power of independence in the music business

23:18 What it took to be accepted in country music with the hits “Save Me” and “Need a Favor”

28:20 How his awards show speeches and social media posts have gone as viral as his music in recent months

29:39 Learning to be comfortable crying in his mid30s

42:09 His guest turn as a wrestler in the WWE

50:08 Feeling a responsibility to leverage the power of the country music industry to help the less fortunate in Nashville

54:45 White rappers making rock music

1:05:09 Snack of the week

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