Hip-hops ‘Queen Bee’, rap artist Lil'' Kim, who was convicted of perjury and conspiracy in March, has been sentenced to a year in jail for lying to a grand jury to protect friends.

The jury was investigating two of her associates involved in a 2001 shooting outside a Manhattan radio station.

She had faced up to 20 years in jail on three counts of perjury and one count of conspiracy.

Female rapper Lil'' Kim, 29, is thought to be the first high-profile female rap star to be sent to prison in the US.

Before her sentencing in New York, the Grammy-winning rap artist made a plea for leniency, admitting she had done wrong.

"I testified falsely to the grand jury and during the trial. At the time I thought it was the right thing to do. Now I know it was wrong," she said in court.

Lil'' Kim, real name Kimberley Jones, was also fined $50,000..

Lil'' Kim was accused of lying numerous times in 2003 court appearances when she told a grand jury her ex-manager was not at the station on the day and denied knowing a former bodyguard.

The ‘Queen Bee’ still has tax problems that need to be addressed.