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Ja Rule

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Ja Rule (born February 29, 1976) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and actor known for his work with the group Cash Money Click and the solo albums *Venni Vetti Vecci* and *Pain Is Love*. In 2011 he pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file United States federal income tax returns and in July 2011 was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison. [1]

Early life and career

Jeffrey Bruce Atkins was born in Hollis, Queens, New York City. He began his music career in the mid-1990s with the hip-hop group Cash Money Click and released his solo debut album *Venni Vetti Vecci* in 1999. [2] He achieved major commercial success with his 2000 album *Rule 3:36* and the 2001 album *Pain Is Love*, both of which produced hit singles and earned multi-platinum certification. He expanded into acting, film and business ventures during the 2000s.

Federal offense and prosecution

On March 22, 2011, Atkins pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file federal income tax returns for taxable years 2004–2008, during which he earned over US$1.1 million and failed to report it to the Internal Revenue Service. [3] On July 18, 2011, U.S. District Judge William J. Martini sentenced him to 28 months in federal prison, ordered the payment of unpaid taxes plus penalties, and required supervised release following incarceration. [4]

Incarceration and prison experience

Ja Rule served his federal sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and completed his term on April 5, 2013. [2] During his time in custody he earned his GED and participated in institution work assignments, preparing for supervised release.

Life after release

Since his release Ja Rule resumed his music and business career, collaborating with artists and launching multimedia ventures including the event-branding company tied to the festival known as Fyre Festival, which collapsed in 2017 and resulted in extensive litigation though he avoided criminal charges. [2] In February 2024 he was denied entry into the United Kingdom due to his criminal record, which forced the cancellation of tour dates and led to public comment on his past legal record. [5]

  • Billy McFarland – entrepreneur and co-promoter of the Fyre Festival, later convicted of multiple fraud charges.
  • Fyre Festival – failed luxury music event for which Ja Rule faced class-action lawsuits though he was cleared of criminal liability.
  • Ashanti – featured collaborator on the hit “Always on Time”.

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Department of Justice. “Rapper Ja Rule Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison for Failing to File Income Tax Returns.” July 18, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nj/Press/files/Atkins,%20Jeffrey%20JaRule%20News%20Release.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wikipedia. “Ja Rule.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ja_Rule
  3. ↑ U.S. Department of Justice. “Rapper Ja Rule Admits Failing to File Income Tax Returns Resulting in Over $1.1 Million in Tax Losses.” March 22, 2011. https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nj/Press/files/Atkins,%20Jeffrey%20News%20Release.html
  4. ↑ Forbes. “Rapper Ja Rule Sentenced in Tax Return Case.” July 19, 2011. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2011/07/19/rapper-ja-rule-sentenced-in-tax-case/
  5. ↑ People. “Ja Rule ‘Devastated’ That He’s Barred From Performing in the U.K. Due to His Criminal Record.” February 28, 2024. https://www.people.com/ja-rule-devastated-barred-uk-tour-criminal-record-8601397/
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