TV Article Rapper Ja Rule pleads guilty for tax evasion, headed to jail for weapons charge By Brad Wete Published on March 23, 2011 08:59PM EDT Photo: Julio Cortez/AP Images Onetime top-tier rhymer Ja Rule plead guilty in a New Jersey Federal Court to two counts of tax evasion this Tuesday (March 22), reports the Los Angeles Times. The Queens, NY rapper (né Jeffrey Atkins) had not filed taxes from 2004 to 2008 and has agreed to now pay $1.1 million. He’s currently free on $50,000 bail. His sentencing is June 13. As if that’s not enough, Rule begins a three-year stint in the bing at the top of June for a weapons possession charge stemming from a 2007 arrest. Since a rap battle with fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent in 2003, Rule’s musical contribution has been minimal and widely panned. Reacting to news of Rule pleading guilty Tuesday, 50 gleefully retweeted, “Ja Rule pleads guilty to tax evasion. Aww, this is the biggest headline for Ja since @50cent destroyed his career.” (Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)