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Gay-Bashing Rapper Ja Rule Faces Prison After Tax Evasion, Weapons

And it couldn't happen to a better person!

Grammy-nominated Rapper and actor Ja Rule—who once said MTV was "promoting homosexuality" and "f---ing up America"—plead guilty to failing to file tax returns and promised to pay more than $1 million in back taxes and penalties.

Ja Rule, whose original name is Jeffrey Atkins, 35, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to three counts of failing to file a tax return, from 2004 through 2008, even though he was making money from royalties and live tours. U.S. federal judge Patty Shwartz set bail at $500,000 and permitted Atkins' release pending sentencing scheduled for June 13. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count.

Ja Rule faces up to five years in prison. In December 2010, you will recall the 34-year-old rapper was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to 2007 weapons possession charge.

Jeff Weiss at the Los Angeles Times adds, "At one point in the late '90s and early 2000s, there was no more commercially viable rapper than the Murder Inc.-signed Rule. 2001's Pain is Love debuted at No. 1 and sold a reported 12 million copies worldwide. Rule was nominated for four Grammy's and even was named GQ's 2002 Man of the Year for musicians." 

In September 2007, Ja Rule launched into a profanity-laced homophobic rant against upcoming congressional hearings on violence in hip-hop and the entertainment industry. "Calling a woman a bitch or a hoe on my rap songs ... is not at issue," said the rapper, father and husband. "Lets talk about all these fucking shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this shit. ... If that's not fucking up America, I don't know what is."

Pearls of wisdom from a gun-toting father concerned about "family values" ... now headed to prison.

Did You Read ...
Gay-Bashing Rapper Ja Rule Pleads Guilty in Weapons Case
Lil Romeo Slams Ja Rule and Says, "Gay is Okay"
Ja Rule: MTV "Promoting Homosexuality"
"Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop
Busta: Gays Better Not "Touch It"
Busta's Homophobic VIBE

Gay-Bashing Rapper Ja Rule Pleads Guilty in Weapons Case

And it couldn't happen to a better person.

Rapper and actor Ja Rule—who infamously said that MTV was "promoting homosexuality" and "f---ing up America"—pleads guilty in New York to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and faces prison time, reports AP.

The case stems from a July 2007 stop of his luxury sports car. The rapper said "this isn't a good day" and declined to discuss the case as he left a Manhattan court. Police say 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 was promised a two-year prison sentence. He's free until sentencing, on a date yet to be set. He's due in court Feb. 9 for an update.

Ja Rule's Pain is Love was nominated for a best rap album Grammy Award in 2002. The 34-year-old rapper--born Jeffrey Atkins--also has appeared in movies, including the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious."

In September 2007, Ja Rule launched into a profanity-laced homophobic rant against upcoming congressional hearings on violence in hip-hop and the entertainment industry. "Calling a woman a bitch or a hoe on my rap songs ...  is not at issue," said the rapper, father and husband. "Lets talk about all these fucking shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this shit. Dating shows that's showing two guys or two girls in mid-afternoon. Let's talk about shit like that! If that's not fucking up America, I don't know what is." 

So says the gun-toting father concerned about "family values" ... who is now headed to prison. Charming.

Did You Read ...
Lil Romeo Slams Ja Rule and Says, "Gay is Okay"
Ja Rule: MTV "Promoting Homosexuality"
"Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop
Busta: Gays Better Not "Touch It"
Busta's Homophobic VIBE

Hip Hop Teen Idol Lil Romeo Slams Ja Rule and Says, "Gay is Okay"

This story is several weeks old, but, in light of recent events, positive pro-gay news from hip hop and rap should always be mentioned.  Teen hip hop idol Lil Romeo (MySpace, IMDB) took issue with the recent ridiculous, homophobic rants of has-been rapper Ja Rule and says not only are gays "alright", but, called Ja Rule "ignorant."

"It was ignorant of him to say. Gays are everywhere in the industry and society in general. That’s not changing. So why shouldn’t they get to be on TV and in the movies like everybody else?! He can’t really believe that none of the peeps who bought his records were gay, and I bet that he wouldn’t give any of ‘em a refund."

Ouch. Romeo, who was born Percy Miller, Jr., is the son of legendary New Orleans-based rapper and producer Master P.  The young singer-actor-basketball phenomenon says sexuality is much less important than character. "It doesn’t matter. I’m cool with everybody who is cool with me. So long as you’re not hurting nobody, I’m not gonna hate on peeps for who they are. I have a few friends who are gay and why not? They alright with me."

Romeo, who is 18, has been performing since he was ten years old and has developed quite the impressive résumé. Six albums, acted in in seven feature films, and, recently starred in his own feature Nickelodeon series.  Romeo is no longer so little: He now stands 6'2 and currently attends the University of Southern California and hopes to hoop for the Trojans.

We need more Romeos on our team.

Did You Read ...
Ja Rule: MTV "Promoting Homosexuality" [R20]
"Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop [R20]
Busta: Gays Better Not "Touch It" [R20]
Busta's Homophobic VIBE [R20]
Ne-Yo: "You're Nobody Until They Say You're Gay" [R20]
Shemar Moore: "I'm Not Gay" [R20]
Rodney Chester of "Noah's Arc": "I'm Still NOT Gay" [R20]
R&B Singer Tyrese Will Ban ALL MEN [R20]
Kanye Responds to Gay Rumors [R20]
Has-Been Rapper Beanie Sigel Demands Kanye and Pharrell "Come Out" of the Closet [R20]
Kanye Responds to Gay Rumors [R20]
R & B Singer Amerie Against Homophobia [R20]
John Legend & Cornel West vs Homophobia [R20]
Kanye on Gay Bashing [R20]
Kanye: "My Own Homophobia" [R20]
Hip-Hop and Homophobia [R20]
Pharrell Sets the Record, umm, Straight [R20]

Ja Rule Backtracks on Anti-Gay Comments, Now Says They Were Taken "Out of Context"

Coincidentally, only weeks before a new album debuts, has-been rapper Ja Rule takes another step toward career rehabilitation. The formerly popular rapper-actor backtracks from his recent anti-gay rant that claimed MTV was "promoting homosexuality."

The change of heart can be read in another softball interview, this time on UK-based Spinner.com, which predictably never challenges his claim that the verbatim comments were taken "out of context." There are some surprises: The rapper who has long been the subject of internet rumors and a historic gay-baiting feud with other entertainers now says if one of his children were gay he would "love them regardless."

You caused quite a bit of controversy with your comments in Complex magazine, saying -- and I'm paraphrasing -- that homosexuality is what's wrong with America. Is it accurate to say that you suffer from some degree of homophobia?
I'm a very avid speaker for all people's rights and people having their own preference. I was taken out of context. My statement was more about where our mind state is as a people. We're focused on the wrong things—like, our country is at war right now. These things are more of a problem to me. Like another case I just read about—young ladies being raped by six white men. These are the stories that should be popping up on my TV screen. That's what I was talking about, and somehow it got spun into some other s---.

How would you react if one of your kids told you that he or she was gay?
That's their own preference. I'm going to love them regardless. I have relatives that are homosexuals and, you know, they come over for Christmas, hang out. It's something that starts with us...It's my responsibility to educate my children—not the TV. I think a visual is more influential than audio, but that goes without being said.

Ja Rule also claims people "have a lot of misconceptions about me and it has a lot to do with me being a rap artist—me being a young black man."

That is wrong. The substantial public outrage over Ja Rule's comments have little to do with him being a black rap artist—homophobia is not mutually exclusive to blacks or hip-hop, and, some rap and hip-hop personalities are publicly taking pro-gay positions. It's much more likely that Ja Rule's well-honed, public persona "has a lot to do with" him coming across as a member of the illiterati and violent, and, as seen in this interview, refusing to take responsibility for his words and actions.

Ja Rule Looks in the Mirror [Spinner]

Some Background ...
Ja Rule: MTV "Promoting Homosexuality" [R20]
The Michelangelo Signorile Show [R20]
"Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop [R20]
Busta: Gays Better Not "Touch It" [R20]
Busta's Homophobic VIBE [R20]
R&B Singer Tyrese Will Ban ALL MEN [R20]
Kanye Responds to Gay Rumors [R20]
Has-Been Rapper Beanie Sigel Demands Kanye and Pharrell "Come Out" of the Closet [R20]
Kanye Responds to Gay Rumors [R20]
R & B Singer Amerie Against Homophobia [R20]
John Legend & Cornel West vs Homophobia [R20]
Kanye on Gay Bashing [R20]
Kanye: "My Own Homophobia" [R20]
Hip-Hop and Homophobia [R20]
Pharrell Sets the Record, umm, Straight [R20]

Ja Rule: MTV "Promoting Homosexuality," Ruining America

It's not the Iraq War or a huge racial divide that is ruining America, says nominal rapper and actor Ja Rule, but depictions of gay and lesbian couples on MTV reality shows.

In a recent interview to Complex—previously mentioned on Rod 2.0 here and here—the formerly popular rapper (born Jeffrey Atkins) launched into a profanity-laced rant against upcoming congressional hearings on violence and messaging in hip-hop and the entertainment industry. "Calling a woman a bitch or a hoe on my rap songs" is not at issue, he maintains.

"And if it is, then we need to go step to Paramount, and fucking MGM, and all of these other motherfuckers that's making all of these movies and we need to go step to MTV and Viacom, and lets talk about all these fucking shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this shit," he continued. "Dating shows that's showing two guys or two girls in mid-afternoon. Let's talk about shit like that! If that's not fucking up America, I don't know what is."

Such language. Speaking of Ja Rule and his family values, the rapper, who lives with his wife and three children in posh Saddle River, New Jersey, recently had to post the family McMansion as bond collateral after police found a semi-automatic weapon in his car. A contractor hired to make repairs on that same McMansion recently filed a criminal charge against JaRule after he was stiffed on a bill, but, "asked a judge to dismiss the complaint due to a fear for his safety."

Ja Rule has long been the subject of internet rumors and a historic gay-baiting feud with 50 Cent and DMX. Predictably, a new album will drops in weeks.

Thanks Nova and Johnny!

Man in the Mirror [Complex]
Ja Rule & Lil Wayne Arrested [SOHH]

Did You Read ...
"Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop [R20]
Busta: Gays Better Not "Touch It" [R20]
Busta's Homophobic VIBE [R20]
Ne-Yo: "You're Nobody Until They Say You're Gay" [R20]
Shemar Moore: "I'm Not Gay" [R20]
Rodney Chester of "Noah's Arc": "I'm Still NOT Gay" [R20]
R&B Singer Tyrese Will Ban ALL MEN [R20]
Kanye Responds to Gay Rumors [R20]
Has-Been Rapper Beanie Sigel Demands Kanye and Pharrell "Come Out" of the Closet [R20]
Kanye Responds to Gay Rumors [R20]
R & B Singer Amerie Against Homophobia [R20]
John Legend & Cornel West vs Homophobia [R20]
Kanye on Gay Bashing [R20]
Kanye: "My Own Homophobia" [R20]
Hip-Hop and Homophobia [R20]
Pharrell Sets the Record, umm, Straight [R20]