The rap-country musician Jelly Roll, real name Jason DeFord, spoke at a Senate hearing on Thursday about the fentanyl epidemic, urging lawmakers to adopt legislation limiting the distribution of the synthetic opioid.
“At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking impact of fentanyl,” he said during his appearance, via The Hill. “I see fans grappling with this tragedy in the form of music, that they seek solace in music and hope that their experiences won’t befall others. These people crave reassurance that their elected officials actually care more about human life than they do about ideology and partisanship.”
DeFord previously served time in prison for aggravated robbery and possession with the intent to sell. “I think it’s important for me to tell you all that I’m not here to defend the use of illegal drugs, and I also understand the paradox of my history as a drug dealer standing in front of this committee,” he said. “But equally, I think that’s what makes me perfect to talk about this. I was a part of the problem. I am here now, standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”
“I stand here as a regular member of society,” DeFord said. “I am a stupid songwriter, y’all, but I have firsthand witnessed this in a way most people have not. I encourage you all to not only pass this bill, but I encourage you to bring it up where it matters, at the kitchen table.”
“I’m guessing most of you didn’t have ‘Jelly Roll testifies at Senate Banking Committee’ on your ’24 bingo card,” Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown said during the hearing. “But few speak and sing as eloquently, as openly, as — shall we say — viscerally about addiction as Mr. DeFord.”
In an Instagram post after his appearance, Jelly Roll wrote the following: “Thank you to the Chairman Senator Brown And Senator Scott for allowing me to speak on behalf of the broken in todays hearing. I pray this message is the beginning of a real change and awareness when it comes to Fentanyl and Drug Addiction in America.”
The committee Jelly Roll spoke in front of introduced the FEND Off Fentanyl Act in April 2023. It passed the Senate in July, but has yet not made it through the House. It aims to “impose sanctions on foreign persons involved in fentanyl trafficking and codify existing sanctions targeting illicit drug trafficking.”
