Rap diva Lil' Kim took the stand in her perjury trial on Thursday, testifying for three and a half hours and calling herself “a victim” of the 2001 gun battle between her associates and a rival hip-hop group outside a Manhattan radio station . The Grammy-winning singer, nee Kimberly Jones, now faces up to 30 years in federal prison for allegedly lying in the court about the incident that left one man injured.

The 30-year-old, famous for her racy outfits and the sexually explicit language of her music, appeared in the court wearing a pale peach ruffled blouse, white jacket adorned with a sparkling brooch, and a pastel skirt.

Reuters quoted Kimberly Jones as saying in the court: “I was a victim [of the shooting]. I couldn't believe I was being badgered the way I was."

Although in 2003 Ms. Jones told a grand jury that she was unable to recognize a photo of long-term friend Mr. Jackson and that her manager, Mr. Butler, was not with her on the day of the shooting, prosecutors believe she simply wanted to protect her friends, who have since pleaded guilty to gun charges.

Ms. Jones insisted that she did not recall seeing Mr. Butler anywhere during her visit to Hot 97 the day she was making an appearance as a guest DJ.

"I don't remember seeing Damion," she told the court, according to The New York Times. "That's the bottom line - I just don't remember."

In the afternoon a prosecutor, Cathy Seibel, opened her cross-examination by making the raunchy rapper recognize herself in a video shot by a security camera outside the radio station that depicted Ms. Jones standing next to Mr. Butler on the street, even as he started firing the gun.

Ms Seibel also had Lil’ admit that she had known Suif Jackson since she was a teenager, although she initially said that the photograph did not look like Mr. Jackson. "You've seen him in the flesh thousands of times," said the prosecutor.

When asked by the lawyer if she had a reason to lie in order to protect her friends, the hip-hop star said:

"Why would I after what they did to me. I'm so happy I'm away from them...they did me so wrong. I have no reason to lie for them. I was fed up with always bailing them out (of prison). They were taking advantage of me, they were stealing from me.”

She is expected back in court for further cross-examination on Friday.