Lil' Kim Checks into Big House

Here's hoping Lil' Kim prepared herself for a big change of scenery.

The diminutive rapper, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, began serving her 366-day prison sentence at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia Monday after being convicted of perjury in March.

She checked in shortly before the 5 p.m. deadline after reportedly stopping her convoy at a rest stop along the way to enjoy a helping of fried chicken at Roy Rogers. Hundreds of fans and reporters awaited her outside the prison and the rapper thanked them for her support.

"Today begins a new saga in my life, which I expect to strengthen me and allow me time for reflection," she said in a statement. "I am blessed to have so many great things in my life: family, friends and God."

Kim was found guilty of lying to a federal grand jury about a 2001 shootout outside of a New York radio station that involved members of her entourage.

According to prosecutors, Lil' Kim told some pretty "preposterous lies," the most egregious being that she had no relationship with one of the triggermen--Suif "Gutta" Jackson, a longtime friend and bodyguard--and that another, manager Damion Butler, wasn't present at the time of the shooting.

But videotape of the incident contradicted her testimony, showing her standing beside Butler when the gunfire erupted. Jackson and Butler, who both pleaded guilty to weapons charges, turned state's evidence against Kim and testified for the prosecution in her trial.

She is the first female big-name rapper to serve time behind bars. In addition to her jail sentence, she was also fined $50,000.

Kim was less than pleased to be sent to the Philadelphia facility rather than a prison camp like the one where Martha Stewart served her time. "I am not certain that this constitutes fair and equal treatment," she said.

Her lawyer, L. Londell McMillan, said he would request a transfer for his client.

"Martha Stewart got the cupcake facility, and Lil' Kim gets the concrete jungle," he said, referring to the minimum-security prison in Alderson, W. Va., where Ms. Stewart spent five months. "We're certainly not asking for preferential treatment, but we also don't want her to be treated less favorably. This is an undue hardship on someone who has accepted responsibility for her actions."

Before heading off to the slammer, Kim worked overtime to make sure her name would not be forgotten while she was on the inside.

Her latest album, The Naked Truth, hits stores Sept. 27, neatly timed to coincide with the buzz over the rapper swapping her skimpy designer duds for prison fatigues.

"It's been nonstop since the day I found out," Lil' Kim told Newsweek. "I knew when the verdict came down and then the sentencing, that I didn't have any time to play around. I had to get the album done, and all the other things in my life settled quickly. I'd never done an album so fast before, and in a way it was a good thing. The music just kind of rolled out."

In addition to the new album, Kim was trailed by a camera crew for the last several weeks for a proposed reality series, titled Lil' Kim Goes to the Big House.

The rapper has said she will use her time in jail to pen new lyrics, as well as to write a book. Her lawyer told the New York Times that Kim will also be working her way through a substantial reading list, including titles such as The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and the self-help book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.

While she reportedly plans to make the best of her time behind bars, Kim is by no means resigned to her sentence.

"What happened to me wasn't fair," she told Newsweek. "And lots of people let me down. A lot of people I thought were my friends turned on me--but I'm still blessed. I've never been the person to turn on my friends. That's just not who I am."

She may not turn on her friends, but those Kim considers to be her enemies get an earful on her new album, which includes lyrics accusing former members of her posse of "dropping dimes like Sprint" during her trial and takes swipes at 50 Cent and her longtime rival, Foxy Brown.

Known for her scene-stealing wardrobes and over-the-top antics, Kim was uncharacteristically subdued when discussing her expectations of jail.

"I'm a God-fearing person, so I try not to be scared of anything," she told the New York Times. "The unknown always makes you a little nervous and curious, of course. I've got to leave my family, and that makes me more depressed than scared."

The rapper remains optimistic that her time behind bars won't do too much damage to her career.

"I had a lot of offers for movies and television before this all happened and all I can pray for is that they will still be there when this is over," she told Newsweek. "They will if it's meant to be."