Ja Rule Won't Go To Prison Until June

Ja Rule's teeth are just fine, but the rapper's finances aren't in order, and as a result he's been extended a reprieve in his prison sentencing until June 8.

The Queens lyricist pleaded guilty to attempted gun possession in December, stemming from a July 2007 arrest. Lil Wayne, who Ja Rule performed with that night at the Cash Money star's Beacon Theater show, also was arrested that night and eventually served eight months in prison for the same offense. Wayne's sentence was postponed a number of times, including once for the rapper to undergo dental work.

According to the New York Post, a judge delayed Ja Rule's sentencing Wednesday morning (March 9) so the rapper could settle a federal tax issue. The Inc. rapper also will use the time to finish his next project, his attorney said. The furlough was issued by the judge against the prosecution's wishes, the Post also reported.

"We want to finish the album, and there's also a tax issue," his lawyer, Stacey Richman, said. "Somebody, an accountant, had filed an incorrect form, and this is to correct what was done in the past."

The case originated just over three years ago, when Ja Rule joined Lil Wayne at his first headlining gig in New York City. After the concert, both rappers' vehicles were pulled over by the New York Police Department in separate instances. Both were subsequently charged with illegal possession of a firearm; Lil Wayne also was brought up on drug charges.