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Rapper Lil Wayne Jailed Over Tour Bus Gun
Rapper Lil Wayne has been sentenced to a year behind bars for having a loaded gun on his tour bus.
The 27-year-old, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, is one of music's most prolific and profitable artists of recent years, responsible for the biggest selling album in the US in 2008.
The Carter III won him four awards at the Grammys last year.
"Weezy", as he is also known, dressed casually for his court appearance in baggy jeans and a grey hooded top.
He had faced the prospect of jail since the loaded .40-calibre semi-automatic gun was found in 2007.
At a hearing in October 2009, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
It was part of a plea deal in which he gave up the right to appeal.
His sentencing was postponed twice in the last month, once so he could get dental surgery and then because the court closed for four days after a fire.
When he finally appeared, a barrage of fans and media were gathered outside the lower Manhattan courtroom.
In anticipation of his prison term at the Rikers Island jail complex he sent a series of videos about his life to MTV.com.
Road To Rikers shows Carter before and after dental surgery, shooting music videos and relaxing at his home.
According to the chief editor of Vibe magazine, the rapper will not stop working because he is in jail.
"Even if he wasn't going to jail, his work pace would be the same," Jermaine Hall said.
"Wayne (Carter) feels like he's a bottomless pit of great music."
Carter's most recent message on the Twitter social networking site, posted on Monday, said: "Law is mind without reason ... I'll return."
After saying goodbye during his "farewell tour" and via online video streams, Carter had nothing to add when his sentence was finally handed down.
He gave only a brief bow to fans and supporters as he was led out of court.
He will be held apart from the other inmates because of his fame but has the option of spending time in a shared TV room.
As for listening to music, inmates are allowed to buy AM/FM radios at the jail.
© Sky News 2010
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