Ja Rule is having to face the consequences of being a rule breaker.
The New York-born rapper expressed in a new interview that he is deeply disappointed after he was denied entry into the UK for his upcoming tour, The Sunrise Tour, due to his criminal record in the US.
“I’m devastated. As you guys say over there, I’m gutted by this whole situation,” he said on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” earlier this week.
“I put a lot into this tour. It’s my 25-year anniversary of my first album, ‘Venni Vetti Vecci,’ and so, you know, I wanted to give my fans something special, a really nice thank you for the 25 years of them being with me throughout my career just to support.”
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Ja Rule requires a work visa to be able to perform in the UK since he is an American citizen and is traveling to Great Britain for career purposes.
However, the Home Office – which is the governing body in the UK that oversees immigration and security – did not grant the “Mesmerize” rapper the proper documentation he needs.
Ja Rule claimed he found out about the issues surrounding his visa at the “last minute,” and told Piers Morgan that ultimately it “really sucks” the most for the fans.
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“To me, Piers, that hurts the most,” the “Always On Time” rapper said. “I really, really was putting on for the people. I built an amazing stage for them, an amazing set, so I’m hurt by this.”
Ja Rule’s criminal record includes a charge for a club beating in Canada in 2004 and a two-year sentence for gun charges, for which the “New York” rapper began to serve time in 2011.
That same year, Ja Rule was given 28 months in prison for failing to file taxes in New Jersey.
When Morgan, 58, brought up his criminal past, the “Livin’ It Up” raper dismissed the gun violation in particular as a “really silly conviction,” noting that guns are now legal “all over the country” in the US.
“People can get them now with minimal to no background checks in certain cities and states out here in America,” he added, later explaining that he had the weapon in the first place for “protection.”
Ja Rule then pointed out that he hasn’t committed a crime or been in prison in over 10 years.
Morgan also pressed the “Put It On Me” rapper on why tickets were able to be sold for shows in England, Scotland and Ireland if the visa situation had not been /confirm/ied, to which Ja Rule said he did not want to place the blame on anyone else, noting the touring company he worked with was very “reputable.”
When the “Holla Holla” rapper first found out about the entry denial, he sounded off on the decision on X.
“The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records,” Ja Rule wrote in late February.
“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. This…
