Ja Rule jailed

Rapper sentenced to two years in prison...

10:48 09 June 2011

Rapper Ja Rule has been sentenced to two years in prison for gun possession by a court in New York.

Dressed in a grey tracksuit, the multi-platinum star said "see y'all later" as he was handcuffed and led away from the Lower Manhattan courthouse.

Ja Rule, real name Jeffrey Atkins, has said that he wants to make the most of his time in prison, telling entertainment website TMZ that he wants to write a book, study for exams and possibly learn to play the guitar.

He spent his last few days of freedom putting the finishing touches to his new album, Pain is Love 2, which is set for release this summer.

Police stopped the 35-year-old for speeding back in December 2007 and found a loaded, unregistered .40-caliber semi-automatic gun in a rear door.

He was charged under a New York law that generally bars people from having firearms outside their homes or workplaces.

The rapper is also facing the possibility of time in a federal jail for failing to pay taxes on more than $3million of income.

He pleaded guilty to those charges in March.