Oklahoman inmates contribute to country singer Jelly Roll’s dot art portrait.
Over 500 of those incarcerated in Oklahoma are contributing to a one of a kind piece of artwork led by Dennis Jackson, an artist known as “Dot Man” who creates pieces of artwork only using dots, reports News on 6. Each person is adding six dots onto the portrait and Jackson says they symbolise unity and resilience reported News on 6. This will reflect the journey of the musician, Jelly Roll who before having a successful career spent much of his life in prison. The portrait is expected to be finished in 2026 around spring. Jackson was asked why only six dots were allowed and he said,” It’s part of the unity we are trying to create,” reported KOCO News.
Jelly Roll’s real name is Jason DeFord, and he uses his platform to advocate for everyone to have a second chance, especially at rehabilitation reports News on 6. Jelly Roll’s life story shows perseverance and transformation and Jackson adds “There are various elements in the portrait that tell his story” reports KOCO News. Jackson continued, “It tells his story of incarceration and how he got out. What he did with his life inspired me so much I wanted to do his piece” reported oklahoma.gov. Jared McCord, serving as Mabel Bassett Correctional Center activities officer said, “It is amazing. He is unbelievably talented, and you are going to be mind-blown” reported oklahoma.gov.
Jelly Roll recently won a Country Music Association Award for the best new artist, alongside in 2023 he achieved three number one country hits according to CBS News. Furthermore he has been nominated for two grammy awards in 2024, at aged just 39 recording to CBS News. Before these achievements Jelly Roll was held in the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Nashville, being in and out of facilities beginning at age 14, reports CBS News. Starting at age 14, he has been in trouble with the law for drug possession, drug dealing, shoplifting and aggravated robbery, and Jelly Roll admits that “There was a time in my life where I truly thought… this was it,” reported CBS News. Jelly Roll walked into his former jail cell and said, “This is jail. It sucks. Everyone I’ve ever been to” and he said the difference when he visited when he was not incarcerated was that the door was open but it still smelt the same reported CBS News.
Jelly Roll started writing songs and made informal hip-hop CDs and gave them away alongside his drug dealing, with Jelly Roll adding, “It was like my business card. Even my drug dealing, to me, was always a means to music,” reported CBS News. Jelly Roll would write songs in his cell, with his first minor hit being in 2010, a track called “Pop Another Pill” and he admits there is a line in that song demonstrating his mental space at the time reported CBS News. As Jelly Roll began to increase in popularity, originally as a rapper, he started to sound like the Southern hip hop stars when he sang and had country fans loving his music according to CBS News.
Jelly Roll often visits prisons, and brings a message with him, when visiting Michigan’s Genesee County Jail’s Ignite program he said, “The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason, because what’s in front of us is so much more important than what’s behind us. For you that might be welding, for you it might be barbering. Whatever it is, find that thing. And it might be just starting with simply being a good father,” reported CBS News. CBS News asked Jelly Roll whether he felt successful and he answered, “I’m starting to. I didn’t at first. And I’m still dealing with imposter stuff. I’m still dealing with talking to my therapist about that: Do I really deserve this?”
