During The Big 98’s Friendsgiving concert at the Grand Ole Opry on November 21, country star Jelly Roll brought out rapper Nelly for an unexpected collaboration, and fans are losing their minds.
Jelly Roll started his career in hip hop and selling mixtapes out of his trunk. His roots run deep, even if he’s traded bars for sensitive songwriting.
Despite the genre switcheroo, his country career seems to be working out. He not only walked away with the CMA for New Artist of the Year but landed a major Grammy nomination in 2023. He competes in Best New Artist alongside Ice Spice, Victoria Monét, and more.
Even though he’s left hip-hop (mostly) behind, he remains indebted to the genre that taught him about life, love, and music.
Jelly Roll collabs with Nelly, and fans aren’t holding back
The Big 98’s Friendsgiving concert at the Grand Ole Opry proved to be a real treat. Jelly Roll fans flocked to the show, but no one could have expected a surprise appearance from rapper Nelly.
Nelly isn’t a stranger to country music, of course; he’s previously collaborated with Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line. But this new collaboration threw fans for a complete loop.
In the comments of a now-viral TikTok, fans couldn’t hold back their excitement.
“Not a big Jelly Roll fan but love how he’s bringing culture together with stuff like this,” said one fan.
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Nelly at the Opry is “something I didn’t know I needed to see,” wrote another.
“Hip-hop at the Grand Ole Opry is breaking barriers,” declared a fan. “I love every minute of it.”
“If I was an artist I swear bringing out other artists and announcing them and surprising the crowd would be my favorite,” wrote EJ Griffith.
Tommy Lorenz admitted to being a long-term fan, from back in Jelly Roll’s hip-hop days, applauding, “I’m glad he finally made it but I never thought it would be for country music.”
Another user pointed out the “super cool” energy of the performance while noting how “Nelly is a just an all around nice guy,” they wrote.
Whether a recorded collaboration comes out of this moment is unclear. But what is most evident is their chemistry performing together. If they were to record, it’s guaranteed to be a hit.
