Rapper and musician Jelly Roll ‘Jason Deford’ made a passionate plea to Congress in support of a bill that would crack down on Fentanyl.
Over the past ten years, the number of deaths attributed to fentanyl has skyrocketed as the synthetic opioid has spread to almost every region of the nation. As a result, authorities have urged for more action to combat addiction and stop the flow of fentanyl that is smuggled into the country illegally.
“I was a part of the problem. I am here now, standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution,” DeFord said during his opening remarks.
“I brought my community down. I hurt people. I was the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about, just like these drug dealers are doing right now when they’re mixing every drug on the market with fentanyl and they’re killing the people we love,” he said.
The 39-year-old rapper, who is now a country artist, has never held back when discussing his past with drugs. He battled addiction and even sold narcotics at one point. The documentary “Save Me” on Hulu focused on his tale.
“I’ve attended more funerals than I care to share with y’all,” DeFord said during the hearing. “I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I love dearly, deeply in my soul. Good people, not just drug addicts. Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people.”
Watch Jelly Roll’s testimony below.
During the hearing on Thursday, three witnesses gave testimony, including DeFord. In addition, retired DEA agent Christopher J. Urben and Fraternal Order of Police president Patrick Yoes spoke before the committee in support of the FEND OFF Fentanyl Act.
The musician, who was previously found guilty of drug-related charges, said in court that his criminal history had prevented him from voting and made it impossible for him to purchase a home. DeFord now tours local jails and rehab clinics to perform charity events.
DeFord claimed to be sober now, but his family is still impacted by his addiction. The musician revealed during the hearing that the mother of his adolescent daughter battles addiction.