T.I. Will Get Jail Sentence in Weapons Rap

Rapper T.I.—aka Clifford Harris—pleaded guilty today in Atlanta to weapons charges, the AP reports. Harris will have to spend about a year in jail but must complete 1,500 hours of community service first; he also faces three years' house arrest and a $100,000 fine. Addressing youth groups on the dangers of guns, drugs, and gangs will be his first stop.

T.I. could see his sentenced reduced, depending on how the community service talks go and his behavior once inside. “I'd like to thank God for blessing me with a second chance in life and success," he told reporters after the hearing. He was charged with owning unregistered machine guns and silencers, and possessing weapons as a convicted felon. (More automatic weapons stories.)