Taken from JRE #1987 w/Jelly Roll:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6whdJI2FwFda1VXc0W7keI?si=06130f971b0040b4

I spent most of my from 14 to 25 in jail.

I spent like a ton of time at 16 I was charged as an adult for a charge and What did you do?

It was the first time I've ever actually talked about the charge.

I just say it was a heinous crime, admittedly.

We robbed a couple of guys for some weed, but they called the police because we took some money and some stuff.

I would like to paint the picture that I literally did not have pubic hairs.

I'm a 15-year-old kid when it happens, you know?

And I still feel horrible about it, but because

the state of Tennessee has a 0 forgiveness policy for violent offenders I've carried that unexpungable felony for 20-something years It prohibits me from getting houses.

It's it's it's put me in I mean it life insurance homeowner insurance is higher if I can get it at all.

I can't get life insurance at all, just because they have a, most of them won't give you

The Young Men's Christian Academy won't let me, you know, just, me and

my wife just got turned down for a house I'm gonna place in life where I go to buy my dream home guard gated community golf course man.

I'm crying Joe They accept my offer everything's going cray.

I'm like it's ain't be real They turn me around say no the golf course won't

You know, and I'm a fucking, dude, I'm a 15, 16

The idea that there's just this 1 definition, this 1 solid yes or no, this is a thing.

And it's not an individual with individual circumstances.

And that's not what a human being is supposed to be about.

We're supposed to be about understanding situations.

And when there's a child that does something really fucking stupid and knows it forever

You don't think you could have done that this is what I would tell to people if you were in that same community You were with those same influences.

you were born into You don't think you could have gone with those other kids that were gonna rob someone with a gun?

I focus all of my philanthropic efforts with the juvenile, the home.

You know, we sunk a quarter million dollars into there for my last hometown show.

You know the hometown, it just hits different.

Yeah, God crazy, dude I just couldn't imagine the emotions of just like dude.

I fucking ate shit at this comedy club here.

I fucking fucking talk fucking kickboxing and shit out here for fucking 20 bucks a session.

And I was like, I was sitting 2 blocks away from the juvenile I was in, George.

I mean, Joe, and I'm sitting there, Joe, and I went and talked to the kids before.

met them all, spent Thanksgiving with them before the show, fed them and sat down with

them and said, look y'all, I know a couple of y'all been here for a year or 2 just like I was.

I'm building a studio in here and I'm building trade programs and I got y'alls back.

Man, we helped out with a lot of lawyers.

Now they're building a new juvenile that we're gonna sink millions of dollars into and have an aftercare program.

I'm gonna do so much for at-risk youth in Nashville because my whole life changed in that it was the most, I look back at it and I talk about it so much that sometimes I desensitize myself for how traumatic it really was.

I spent my 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th birthday incarcerated.

Like, most kids, like, my daughter will inevitably, by the grace of God, get a car on her 16th birthday You know like the dream shit, you know what the ribbon shit, it's gonna be a big moment You know, it's gonna be fucking crazy, you know But I got you know, They didn't even give me

Like, I didn't have a guard tell me happy 15th or 16th birthday.

I think we actually pulled the records like 6 weeks.

And then the only thing that turned that shit around for me was Bately.

I was in the revolving door of the judicial system, in and out.

And I'm sitting in there and that guard knocks on my door, May 22nd, 2008, Joe.

It was like, I don't know what kind of, it was like a Damascus Road experience in the Bible.

Like, I immediately, Joe, was like, I've got to do something to change, I've got to quit this shit.

Now, I'm in the violent offender gang unit of this jail.

There's a sign on the door that you can sign up for an education unit, right?

But nobody ever signed up for it because it's like checking in.

Like in jail it would be like, your boy told the jail stories that was in here with Bobby, so you understand the lingo.

It's like they put you on the door, you'd sign up for the sheet of paper so they'd get you out of the unit.

Or if you were scared, you would sign up to get out of the unit.

I'd been in there for fucking a year, I mean, fucking 7, 8 months, 6 months, 7 months playing poker every day, chilling.

And immediately Joe went and signed up for that education unit and got my GED.

I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that I was I was dead set on not selling drugs ever again.


Speaker 0: The Joe Rogan experience.

Speaker 1: I spent most of my from 14 to 25 in jail.

Speaker 2: Yeah I do know that.

Speaker 3: I spent like a ton of time at 16 I was charged as an adult for a charge and What did you do? It was the first time I've ever actually talked about the charge. I just say it was a heinous crime, admittedly. It was horrible. We robbed a couple of guys for some weed, but they called the police because we took some money and some stuff.

And it was an armed robbery. I mean, we went in there with a gun. I regret it every day of my life, Joe. You know, I mean, I was a kid. Now, I'm not making an excuse, but

Speaker 1: I would like to paint the picture that I literally did not have pubic hairs. I'm a 15-year-old kid when it happens, you know? And I still feel horrible about it, but because

Speaker 3: the state of Tennessee has a 0 forgiveness policy for violent offenders I've carried that unexpungable felony for 20-something years It prohibits me from getting houses. It's prohibited. It's it's it's put me in I mean it life insurance homeowner insurance is higher if I can get it at all. I can't get life insurance at all, just because they have a, most of them won't give you

Speaker 1: a decent policy as a felon. Dude, I can't volunteer at the YMCA. The Young Men's Christian Academy won't let me, you know, just, me and

Speaker 3: my wife just got turned down for a house I'm gonna place in life where I go to buy my dream home guard gated community golf course man. I'm crying Joe They accept my offer everything's going cray. I'm like it's ain't be real They turn me around say no the golf course won't

Speaker 1: let a felon be a part of the community. You know, and I'm a fucking, dude, I'm a 15, 16

Speaker 3: year, dude.

Speaker 2: The idea that there's just this 1 definition, this 1 solid yes or no, this is a thing. You have the mark on you. And it's not an individual with individual circumstances.

Speaker 0: That's so ridiculous. And that's not what a human being is supposed to be about. We're not supposed to be about that. We're supposed to be about understanding situations.

Speaker 2: And when there's a child that does something really fucking stupid and knows it forever

Speaker 0: You don't think you could have done that this is what I would tell to people if you were in that same community You were with those same influences. This is the reality that

Speaker 2: you were born into You don't think you could have gone with those other kids that were gonna rob someone with a gun? You could've, don't lie to yourself.

Speaker 0: You could've. They're not unsavable human beings.

Speaker 1: Right, and then that's why

Speaker 3: I focus all of my philanthropic efforts with the juvenile, the home. You know, we sunk a quarter million dollars into there for my last hometown show. I sold out my arena. Big, craziest night ever. You know, fuckin' the hometown arena.

You know how big that shit is.

Speaker 1: You know the hometown, it just hits different. You know what I'm sayin'? When you're like, oh

Speaker 3: no, this is home.

Speaker 1: You know what I'm sayin'? Like, oh, They like me at home.

Speaker 3: Yeah, you

Speaker 0: know for me. It's Boston.

Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah when you play the garden, right? Yeah, God crazy, dude I just couldn't imagine the emotions of just like dude. I fucking ate shit at this comedy club here. I fucking fucking talk fucking kickboxing and shit out here for fucking 20 bucks a session.

Speaker 3: And here I am standing

Speaker 1: in the fucking garden. And I was like, I was sitting 2 blocks away from the juvenile I was in, George. I mean, Joe, and I'm sitting there, Joe, and I went and talked to the kids before. I went and

Speaker 3: met them all, spent Thanksgiving with them before the show, fed them and sat down with

Speaker 1: them and said, look y'all, I know a couple of y'all been here for a year or 2 just like I was. I'm building a studio in here and I'm building trade programs and I got y'alls back. Man, we helped out with a lot of lawyers. We put it, we worked with the state. Now they're building a new juvenile that we're gonna sink millions of dollars into and have an aftercare program.

I'm gonna do so much for at-risk youth in Nashville because my whole life changed in that it was the most, I look back at it and I talk about it so much that sometimes I desensitize myself for how traumatic it really was. I spent my 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th birthday incarcerated. Straight. Like, most kids, like, my daughter will inevitably, by the grace of God, get a car on her 16th birthday You know like the dream shit, you know what the ribbon shit, it's gonna be a big moment You know, it's gonna be fucking crazy, you know But I got you know, They didn't even give me

Speaker 3: an extra piece of cake for dinner. You know what I mean?

Speaker 1: Like, I didn't have a guard tell me happy 15th or 16th birthday. You know what I mean? You don't get a family visit. I missed high school completely. I think I

Speaker 3: was in high school for like,

Speaker 1: I think we actually pulled the records like 6 weeks. You know what I mean? And then the only thing that turned that shit around for me was Bately.

Speaker 3: I was in the revolving door of the judicial system, in and out. I knew I'd got a woman pregnant. I'm back in jail. She's pregnant. She hates me.

We're not talking. I'm a bad human. She's right. I was a horrible human. And I'm sitting in there and that guard knocks on my door, May 22nd, 2008, Joe.

D Ford, it's countdown. I say, what's up? He goes, you had a kid today. And he walked away.

Speaker 1: Whoa. Dude, it just, I still get emotional. It was like, I don't know what kind of, it was like a Damascus Road experience in the Bible. Like, I immediately, Joe, was like, I've got to do something to change, I've got to quit this shit. Like, I gotta figure it out.

Now, I'm in the violent offender gang unit of this jail. There's a sign on the door that you can sign up for an education unit, right? But nobody ever signed up for it because it's like checking in. You know what I mean? Like in jail it would be like, your boy told the jail stories that was in here with Bobby, so you understand the lingo.

It's like they put you on the door, you'd sign up for the sheet of paper so they'd get you out of the unit. Or if you were scared, you would sign up to get out of the unit. I'd been in there for fucking a year, I mean, fucking 7, 8 months, 6 months, 7 months playing poker every day, chilling. And immediately Joe went and signed up for that education unit and got my GED. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that I was I was dead set on not selling drugs ever again.

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The Moment Jelly Roll Decided to Change His Life for Good