Isn’t it a shame how one by one, our rap artists are being sent to prison.? You’d almost think it was some sort of government conspiracy. There’s T.I., Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa,? DMX… the list goes on and on.

This time, it’s JaRule (real name Jeffrey Atkins) who is headed to the clink after agreeing to a two year plea deal!

Ja Rule reached the deal with prosecutors in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday (December 13) that will see the rapper serve two years in prison from charges stemming from a gun bust in July 2007, when both he and Lil Wayne were arrested separately following a concert performance.

The Murder Inc. star pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a class D felony in the second degree.

Moments after the plea deal, Ja hit up his twitter account with the following:

Ja Rule is expected to be sentenced in February, following a court appearance that same month to report his progress to the judge.

The case originated just over three years ago, when Ja Rule joined Lil Wayne at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre to perform with the Cash Money superstar, who was headlining his first New York City bill.

After the concert, both rappers, in separate instances, were pulled over in their vehicles by the New York Police Department. Both were subsequently charged with illegal possession of a firearm; Lil Wayne was also brought up on drug charges.

In Ja Rule’s case, the rapper was one of three men in his car to be charged; all three were arraigned on the same charges. Police said they found a loaded semiautomatic weapon in the rear door of his car.

If the Queens native had gone to trial and been found guilty, he could have faced up to seven years behind bars. Now, having reached a plea agreement, he’ll likely serve 16 months in prison, followed by a year and a half of post-prison supervision.

Last year, Lil Wayne reached a plea deal in his case, and as you know, on March 2010, he turned himself in to begin his one-year sentence.

Wayne completed his sentence last month, and the New Orleans MC is currently on probation for an unrelated incident in Arizona.

(source)

JaRule flashback…

VIDEO: “Always on Time” JaRule ft. Ashanti