Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins) will have to serve jail time stemming for a prior gun possession arrest from 2007.

According to the Associated Press, Ja pleaded guilty in a Manhattan courtroom earlier today (December 13) to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He is expected to receive two years behind bars when he is formally sentenced in February.

Shortly after the court appearance, Rule took to his twitter account. "Minor setback for a Major comeback," he wrote with several exclamation points.  Ye five minutes later he added, "What did I do to deserve this (Ross voice)!!!"

"Mr. Atkins stepped up and took responsibility," Rule's lawyer Stacey Richman told XXLMag.com

Ja was arrested on July 22, 2007 when police found an unlicensed.40 caliber handgun in the backseat of his Maybach, following a traffic stop. Hours before he was onstage with Lil Wayne at a concert at Manhattan's Beacon Theater. Weezy was also picked up on the same day for possession of the same caliber pistol, after authorities boarded his tour bus upon smelling marijuana smoke emanating from the vehicle. The Young Money leader, who shares the same laywer as Rule, also eventually pleaded guilty to the attempted weapons possession charges. He served eight months in the case on good behavior and was just released on November 4.

Rule was working on his long delayed comeback album, The Renaissance Project. There is no word on the current status of that disc.

Stay tuned to XXLMag.com as the story develops. —Elan Mancini

More From XXL