We think Jelly Roll has been giving us clues that he will embrace his Hip Hop roots on his next album - and it seems his unexpected new collaboration with Latto proves it.

After teasing a link-up via a social media post featuring Jelly's signature crown emblem combined with Latto's cheetah print, it's now been confirmed that Jelly will appear on the rapper's eagerly anticipated new project, BIG MAMA, alongside the likes of 21 Savage, Mariah the Scientist, Wizkid, Teyana Taylor, Sexxy Red and ODEAL.

This rap-leaning collaboration is the latest in a string of hints from Jelly Roll's camp that the ‘Need a Favor’ hitmaker will explore the Hip Hop textures of his earlier material on his new album. Jelly has been teasing his Beautifully Broken follow-up record for months now, and revealed in an October 2025 interview that he would be taking listeners “on a ride” and bringing a bold new sound with his next chapter.

At the time, we thought this could signal a shift into Contemporary Christian Music, with Jelly collaborating with the likes of Brandon Lake and increasingly referencing how big a part his faith has played in his redemption arc in his acceptance speeches.

But now, putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, we suspect Jelly is teasing a return to the beloved ‘Rapper Roll’ sound that permeated all his early projects, until his pivot towards the rock and country spheres with 2021's Ballads of the Broken.

Jelly's Latto collaboration follows on from a series of genre-blurring link-ups that have led many to question whether the Nashville native is set to steer away slightly from country music, including ‘Holy Water’ with Marshmello and ‘Box Me Up’ with BigXthaPlug.

The most convincing evidence for this shift to Hip-Hop - at least for a portion of his next era - stems from a video his wife, Bunnie XO, shared in April of her lip-syncing to Jelly's 2017 rap hit, ‘Hate Goes On’. One fan commented, “He needs to throw [in] some of this style again. These are some of my favorite[s]!”. In reply, Bunnie seemingly confirmed he's recording new rap music, sharing simply: “It's coming”.

Then, adding to the mystique, Bunnie uploaded another video almost immediately after this one, with the caption, “When my husband and publicist both call at the same time cause I posted another thing I shouldn't have”. Fans in the comments quickly started speculating that she was referring to the video of her rapping along to Jelly's ‘Hate Goes On’, and her response teasing new music in a similar vein.

One user interpreted Bunnie's second video as a hint that Jelly and his team have been trying to keep details about his new album under wraps, “I think it was the “on its way” comment. I hope she’s not teasing us because we need Rapper Roll back”.

If we are about to see the return of Rapper Roll, it would feel like a natural evolution. That might sound like a counterintuitive statement, given Jelly was rapping when he was going through a difficult period, with his later rock and country eras associated with his embrace of Christianity and his atonement for his past mistakes.

To then shift back to rap might, to some, appear like a regression. But in reality, an album that combines Hip-Hop, country and rock would feel like a triumphant victory lap from Jelly, fresh off the back of his recent GRAMMY wins and high-profile releases, such as his FIFA World Cup song with Carín León, ‘Lighter’, celebrating all his eras.

Such a project would come across like a journey through Jelly's life and a full, in-depth portrayal of who he is, both as an artist and as the person we see glimpses of off-stage.

His references on the Human School Podcast to taking fans on a “journey” - coupled with his frequent co-writer Jessie Jo Dillon's comments in a Holler interview that he is “very aware of what's coming next” - feel like an indication that he's working on a concept album. And maybe this will be framed as a voyage through his life, beginning with Rapper Roll and then moving to rock, before settling on country.

There's also the fact that Jelly has repeatedly confirmed that he's been working extensively with Post Malone while they've been out on the road together. Given they're joining forces once again for The Big Ass Stadium Tour, Part 2, and - much like Jelly - Post has been hinting at a return to the hazy trap aesthetic of Stoney, we imagine they've been working on rap-leaning tracks, as well as country anthems.

With Jelly kicking off his amusingly titled Little Ass Shed Tour tonight (May 28th) in West Palm Beach, Florida, before linking up with Post for The Big Ass Stadium Tour, Part 2 launch on June 9th in Charleston, North Carolina, we think an announcement about new music is imminent. We'd be incredibly surprised if it's an entirely Hip-Hop project, with no country whatsoever, but we think all the signs are pointing to a Rapper Roll comeback - at least for a significant part of the record. And honestly, judging by the bars Jelly has dropped on past rap earwors, we're here for it.

For more on Jelly Roll, see below: