Sunrise tour: UK denies Ja Rule visa

US rapper Jeffrey Bruce Atkins Sr a.k.a Ja Rule, has been denied entry into the UK, putting his Sunrise Tour, which will start Friday Cardiff into the cooler.
The ‘Always on Time’ rapper had lined up gigs in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds and Liverpool. but according to him that would not be possible as he had been turned back because of his criminal record.
“I’m so devastated – I can’t believe the UK won’t let me in.
“I’ve spent a half million dollars 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 out and now I can’t come.”
Ja Rule, who was released from prison in May 2013 after serving two years on gun possession and tax evasion charges, added: “The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records.
“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 if you’ve served more than 12 months in prison.”
In a follow up post on Wednesday, Ja Rule said the promoter had assured his team that the criminal record would not be an issue.
British government guidance says permission to enter will be refused where someone has been convicted of a criminal offence, either in Britain or overseas, for which they received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more.
Ja Rule secured a Grammy nomination for his 2001 album “Pain Is Love” and has appeared in several films, notably 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious”.
In a separate incident in 2022, U.S rapper Lil Wayne was denied entry into the UK where he had been scheduled to perform at a British music festival. Organisers said the refused entry was a last minute decision by the Home Office.