Jelly Roll Backs Anti-Fentanyl Legislation in Powerful Speech to Congress

Jelly Roll says he was part of the drug problem in America -- but is hoping to be a part of the solution now ... taking a powerful stance against fentanyl in front of Congress.

The country singer/rapper was on Capitol Hill Thursday -- where he gave testimony about his own experience in this department ... going over his history as a drug dealer, and detailing how he came out the other side.

Jelly says his troubled past actually makes him the perfect person to throw his support behind the anti-fentanyl legislation that was being discussed here ... listing heartbreaking examples of how his life's been personally affected by the spiraling problem.

JR explains that he's attended more funerals for his loved ones than he cares to share ... fearing one day, he'll have to tell his teen daughter her drug addict mom has become a national statistic -- which sits at 190 people dying from an overdose daily.

JR -- who had 40 prison stints before the age of 22 -- says he thought selling drugs was a victimless crime ... and never thought America's drug epidemic would spiral from crack cocaine to opioids/OxyContin, and now fentanyl. Now, he's acknowledging how deadly fentanyl is ... and vowing to do everything he can to eradicate it, hence his words today.