One of the biggest rappers of the 90s and 00s has been forced to cancel his tour dates in the UK after he was refused entry.
Ja Rule is a huge hitmaker, working with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Ashanti and R Kelly throughout the years. His biggest track – Always On Time, performed with Ashanti – topped the Billboard charts in 2001, with the track reaching a respectable No6 here in the UK.
But while on tour to promote his music once again for rap fans in the country, Ja Rule has been told he cannot come into the UK. This is down to his less than squeaky-clean criminal record, after he was involved in a number of altercations.
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Ja Rule – whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins – was due to kick off his UK tour in the Welsh capital of Cardiff on Friday (March 1). He would then do a string of dates up and down the country for the remaining days afterwards before heading over to Europe to perform.
(Image: Getty Images)
But on Tuesday night (February 27), he was told he would not be allowed entry into the country due to his past. Taking to his Twitter account, he admitted he was not happy with the decision.
“I’m so devastated; I can’t believe the UK won’t let me in,” he lamented. “I’ve spent a half million dollars in production of my own money to put this tour together only to be denied entry days before my shows.
“This is not fair to me or my fans; these venues are 85% sold and now I can’t come,” he continued. “The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Ja Rule had been jailed for two years in America after being convicted on charges of tax evasion and improper ownership of a gun. He was released from prison in May 2013.
“In general, you will likely be denied entry if you have been convicted of a crime punishable by 23 months or more under British law or served more than 12 months in prison,” he finished. However, when one account moaned that they were looking forward to seeing the hitmaker perform, Ja Rule responded saying he was also excited to get the show underway, adding that his “production was epic”.
(Image: FilmMagic)
On Instagram, he confirmed that refunds would be available to British ticket holders, who are now unable to see the rapper perform. He was due to have a string of dates between Friday and March 17 that would go across the UK and Ireland, including dates in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
