The lord of early noughties hip hop Ja Rule has kicked off his Australian tour in the middle of the desert.

The rapper chose Alice Springs - yes Alice Springs - in the central desert to begin a month-long tour around the country.
The red centre is a long way from his days cavorting aboard yachts in Miami with Jennifer Lopez while guzzling Cognac and Cristal Champagne. But Ja Rule has told BuzzFeed News that he's loving it.
Local Aboriginal DJ Lorena Walker will open Ja Rule's Alice Springs show.
