US rap star Ja Rule terrified Sydney motorists after touching down in Australia Thursday by driving through the city on the wrong side of the road trying to catch a harbour view, a report said.

Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, hopped behind the wheel after giving a commercial radio interview at inner-city Pyrmont, a spokesman for the Nova 969 station said.

"I think he was more interested in looking at the view of Sydney than he was keeping his eyes on the road," the spokesman told newswire AAP.

"He powered out into Pyrmont with (radio host) Kate in the front and the show's other hosts Merrick and Rosso in the car and onto the wrong side of the road.

The trio were shouting at Rule to get back onto the correct side, and a few fellow motorists — driving correctly on the left — were forced to swerve out of the way, he added.

"He obviously thought he was still in America. Luckily there was no damage," the spokesman said.

The Grammy-nominated rapper battled for months to get a visa from Australian immigration officials, who were apparently reluctant because he had been arrested for gun possession in 2007.

AFP