Jelly Roll recalls drug-dealing past, pushes Congress to act on fentanyl legislation in powerful speech: ‘I hurt people’

nypost.com:

demons in front of Congress Thursday, when he gave a powerful speech against the deadly use of fentanyl in America. The rapper and country music star, whom won the new artist of the year award at the 2023 CMA Awards, addressed the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and urged legislators to establish a bill to combat the supply and distribution of the synthetic opioid in the U.S.

at a hearing on “stopping the flow of fentanyl.” “At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking impact of fentanyl,” he said. “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 are the people I’m here to speak for, y’all,” he continued. “These people crave reassurance that their elected officials actually care more about human life than they do about ideology and partisanship.” Jelly Roll, 39, whose real name is Jason DeFord, was candid about his past run-ins with the law, multiple arrests and serving jail time for drug charges and aggravated robbery.“It is important to establish earlier that I am a musician and that I have no political alliance,” DeFord began. “I am neither Democrat nor Republican.

In fact, because of my past, my right to vote has been restricted. Thus far, I have never paid attention to a political race in my life.

Ironically, I think that makes me the perfect person to speak about this.”DeFord was well informed regarding the statistics surrounding the epidemic, telling the committee that 190 people die from drug overdoses daily in the U.S.