John Rich Weighs In on Jelly Roll: “He’s About as Country as Beyoncé”

Country duo Big & Rich’s John Rich has entered the Jelly Roll controversy with a scathing assessment of the singer’s authenticity, declaring that Jelly Roll is “about as country as Beyoncé.” The comment, posted on social media late last night, has been celebrated by conservative fans and has left music historians scratching their heads.

According to journalist Joan Berro, who reached Rich for comment at his Nashville compound, the singer-songwriter stood by his statement. “I said what I said,” Rich reportedly declared, adjusting a cowboy hat that sources say cost more than most people’s cars. “Jelly Roll’s out here talking about politics like he knows something. Real country artists don’t do that. We sing about America, trucks, and drinking beer. Sometimes we do all three while wearing a $5,000 belt buckle.”

Music analyst Reno Borja called Rich’s comparison “accidentally accurate.” Borja noted that Beyoncé actually grew up in Texas, while Rich grew up in Michigan and Jelly Roll grew up in Tennessee. “By Rich’s own logic, Beyoncé is actually more country than either of them. But logic isn’t really the point here. The point is creating a hierarchy where certain people are ‘real’ country and others aren’t, based on criteria that change depending on who needs to be excluded.”

Constitutional scholar J. Baron Roe, reached at the Nashville Golden Corral while his ferret reviewed Rich’s discography for references to actual rural life, calculated the authenticity metrics. “If you take the number of times Rich has mentioned ‘Comin’ to Your City’—which is the title of his TV show and also his catchphrase, multiply by the number of times he’s actually been to a real city that wasn’t for a concert or television appearance, divide by the number of times Beyoncé has won country music awards—which is 1, you get a ratio that suggests Rich is actually less country than the person he was insulting, which is mathematically awkward.”

Rich has not apologized for the comment, though sources say he is “considering a duet with Kid Rock about how nobody’s country anymore except the people who agree with him politically.”