Jelly

Although Peachtree is his den, much of Jelly’s youth was spent in Columbia, South Carolina. The youngest of three relocated to live with his grandmother. Along with his aunt and mom, Jelly was raised by strong women—affording him wisdom and sensitivity. In Columbia, the teen nicknamed “Jellybean” was a classmate of Pi’erre. Years later, when the abbreviated Jelly returned to Atlanta, he offered the old acquaintance a place to stay with him at his aunt’s. The friendship blossomed with trips to Miami and the two sharing their dreams of music careers. Disinterested in a job opportunity at the Yamaha plant, the headstrong Jelly used seed money from his aunt to buy a dozen or so songs from Zaytoven. However, in the early 2010s, working with Gucci Mane’s hit-making producer was not enough. “I got my foot in the door, and we built a relationship,” he recalls. But Jelly’s cash was depleting faster than his buzz built. By the middle of the decade, after Jelly’s aunt succumbed to a battle with cancer, he very nearly quit.

As Jelly was at his lowest hour, Pi’erre—now credited with producing hits like “Magnolia” for Playboi Carti and “EA” for Young Nudy and 21 Savage—reinvigorated his friend. As Bourne laid the groundwork for Sosshouse, he had a vision for his promising rap friend. The two proceeded to refine their chemistry. “Zaytoven helped me get good, but Pi’erre helped me get great,” affirms Jelly. “I know my sound to the point where I can get on one of his beats and handle it the right way.” In 2019, Pi’erre invited Jelly to join him on a week-long trip to L.A. The experience–including his first-ever flight—changed the rapper’s life. “I recorded like 30 or 40 songs in those four days; that’s how Wolf came about,” he says of his 2020 breakthrough. “I knew that this was the Jelly everyone had been looking for; I was just finding my sound.” Professional athletes and peers, including producer Cardo, joined a fast-growing fanbase. “I didn’t expect to get the notoriety as I did,” he notes. “People all over the world were listening.”

Jelly’s charms are found in his work ethic. Of the Sosshouse crew, he is the artist who writes his rhymes. After showing range on the seven-figure “London Cake,” “Today,” and others, the artist approaches songwriting like homework on his 2022 release plans. “Motion” and “In & Out” represent songs that find Jelly playing with concepts and showcasing his dynamic flows. “Bubble Gum,” the upcoming Juicy J collabo, fulfills a bucket-list collaboration between the Atlanta rapper and one of his influences. “That song is so hard,” he details of a new sound.

The Wolf Of Peachtree plans to take a bite out of the industry. He and Pi’erre Bourne continue to build upon their creative chemistry while the passionate rapper aspires to usher Sosshouse to the mainstream. “I’m the one poppin’ that ish,” he says of flashy clothes, jewelry, and charms with the ladies. But underneath the flare is a well-intentioned, kind-hearted artist who turned a near-abandoned dream into an unfolding reality.