Ja Rule - Ja Rule Promises New Album Before Prison Stint

The Always On Time hitmaker, real name Jeffrey Atkins, was handed the sentence in December (10) after pleading guilty to a gun charge relating to a 2007 arrest in New York.

He was granted permission to delay his prison time by a few weeks to allow him to honour his movie and concert commitments for early 2011 and he's vowed to use the time to promote his upcoming disc, The Renaissance Project.

Taking to Twitter.com on Monday (03Jan11), Ja Rule writes, "Renaissance Project will be dropping before I go in."

The rapper is next due in court on 9 February (11), when a judge will set a date for him to surrender and begin his punishment.