Like Lil Wayne and T.I. before him, Ja Rule is using pen and paper to stay in touch with his fans while he serves a 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion. The rapper released his first journal entry this week, with a promise to keep 'em coming each month of his sentence.
In his first letter, Ja talked about an 18-year-old fellow inmate who attempted to commit suicide:
We all heard it everyone runs to their cell doors and start kicking, banging, calling the CO's.
Now I've seen a person get shot and I've even seen someone die from a drug overdose but this was different this was suicide.
It was like I can hear the life leaving his body the CO's rush in the cell they saved him.
The rapper went on to discuss his feelings about the statutory rape charges brought against the 18-year-old, and how he would relate to his own daughter, Britt:
Turns out he just turned 18 and got his girl friend who is only 16 and her parents pressed charges and now he's locked up on sex offender charges.
He was in school for graphic arts to learn how to make video games.
It's sad cause he's still a kid himself a good kid at that and now he'll be forever labeled rapist or sex offender when really he's probably just a kid in love.
It makes me think about Britt and her starting to date I'm not gonna lie at 18 & 16 I'd be at a cross road too but to ruin a young mans life & stain his future is not rite.

Looks like Ja is getting a lot of time to reflect behind bars, and he's not afraid to share his deepest thoughts with his fans. Go to Hip Hop Wired to read his complete letter.

(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Overture Films)