Rapper pleads guilty in gun case

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Rapper Ja Rule on Monday pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon stemming from a July 2007 stop of his luxury sports car.

Wearing dark-blue jeans and a black sweater, the rapper said “guilty” and answered “yes” in a low voice to a judge’s questions.

“Because of your guilty plea here today, you’ll have a record of having committed a violent felony. This is a very serious matter,” Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers told the rapper.

Police said they found a loaded semiautomatic gun in a rear door of the $250,000-plus car after it was stopped for speeding.

In court Monday, Ja Rule, 34, was promised a two-year prison sentence. He’s free until sentencing, on a date yet to be set. He is due in court Feb. 9 for an update.

Known for his gravelly voice and collaborations with artists including Ashanti and Jennifer Lopez, Ja Rule scored a 2002 nomination for the best rap album Grammy Award with “Pain is Love.”

Born Jeffrey Atkins, he also has appeared in movies, including the 2001 film “The Fast and the Furious” and 2003’s “Scary Movie 3.”