Jello Biafra is a compelling, enigmatic public speaker and musician. He has sung for many bands: his first band, Dead Kennedys, was a seminal early punk band and continues to define and influence American punk rock and its beneficiaries. A leader and follower of the "Do It Yourself" punk ethic of music production, he founded the Alternative Tentacles record label, which published the entire Dead Kennedys' catalog, and continues to publish established and emerging talent. As a practical joke, Biafra entered the San Francisco mayoral election in 1979, and came in fourth out of ten candidates. Biafra was a casualty in a right-wing U.S. cultural movement of the 1980s to censor adult content from recorded music and associated materials. Biafra was charged and exonerated in court on a charge of "Distribution of Harmful Matter to Minors", namely, an album containing a poster of "Penis Landscape" by H.G. Giger. The police raid on Biafra's home and his subsequent trial became an underlying theme of Biafra's public speeches and lyrics.

In addition to running for mayor, he also tried to run for President in 2000. He named convicted cop killer, Mumia Abu Jamal, as his running mate. It was merely a publicity stunt for activism on Mumia Abu Jamal's behalf, as his case is believed to be a conspiracy and is very controversial.Is on an F.O.P. (Fraternal Order Of Police) boycott list for his support of Mumia Abu Jamal, along with many other musicians and celebrities.Was very bitter that the Dead Kennedys song, "Holiday In Cambodia" was used for a Levi's commercial in 2001. He made statements saying that Levi's uses unfair business practices and sweat shop labor.His home was raided shortly after the release of the Dead Kennedys album, "Frankenchrist" by police. The album outraged religious conservatives, who claimed the album was distributing harmful material to minors. He tells a story about this incident on his spoken word CD, "No More Cocoons".He was sued by ex-members of The Dead Kennedys for past royalties and access to the Dead Kennedys' back catalog in 2001.He and the ex-members of The Dead Kennedys have a very bitter relationship.Chose his pseudonym as a commentary on starvation. "Jello" is based on "Jell-o", a brand of gelatin dessert with no natural nutritional value. Biafra was a section of eastern Nigeria that proclaimed independence in 1967. All transport was closed off to the breakaway republic by Nigeria, and mass starvation caused the country to collapse in 1970.After leaving Dead Kennedys he formed the band Lard.Involved in Lard project with Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker (of Ministry)Levi's allegedly asked to use the introduction of the song 'Holiday in Cambodia' for a commercial. However the offer was never considered as Jello disagreed with many of Levi's practices at that time.In 1979, he ran for Mayor of San Francisco, California under his stage name, originally as a "gag' candidate, then as a serious one. His campaign platform included requiring all police officers to live in the neighborhoods they were assigned to patrol. He finished 4th in a field of 10 candidates, with 4% of the popular vote. Shortly afterwords, a law was passed in that city prohibiting running for public office under an assumed name.When running for mayor of San Francisco in 1979 his election slogan was, "there's always room for Jello"