Rapper T.I. Reports to Prison

Authorities say rapper T.I. has been booked into a federal prison in Arkansas to serve a year and a day sentence on a weapons charge. T.I., whose real name is Clifford J. Harris Jr., was supposed to report to the prison by noon to begin serving his sentence. It is believed T.I. appeared at the prison at 12:29 p.m. in a black van with Georgia license plates and tinted windows. Guards and prison officials in three different vehicles escorted the van to the prison grounds. Click here to see Georgia Gazette host Rickey Bevington's interview with T.I. and Ambassador Andrew Young.

Judge Denies Rapper's Prison Request

Rapper T.I. must report Tuesday to a federal prison at Forrest City, Ark., as previously ordered, a federal judge ruled Friday. T.I., whose real name is Clifford J. Harris Jr., was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for a federal weapons charge. He asked a court Thursday to let him remain free while he seeks placement in a minimum-security prison closer to his Atlanta home, but that request was denied the next day by U.S. District Judge Judge Charles A. Pannell Jr. Harris claimed prison officials miscalculated his criminal history in a pre-sentencing report that said he had a "serious history of violence." His lawyer called a 2003 incident a "scuffle" with a mall cop. Lawyer Donald F. Samuel said he would continue to ask the federal Bureau of Prisons to re-classify the music star. The rapper is scheduled to report by noon Tuesday to the Federal Correction Institution at Forrest City, Ark. He was fined $100,000 and sentenced to 366 days for trying to buy machine guns and silencers he said he needed for protection.

(Associated Press)

Students plan another political rap song

Some Georgia middle schoolers famous for a rap song about voting plan to come back with another song. 7th graders at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta became a YouTube sensation by changing the words to local rapper T.I's song "Whatever You Like" to "You Can Vote However You Like." Now, they are working on a new song that spells out what they'd like to see President-elect Barack Obama accomplish while he is President.

(Associated Press)

Judge releases rapper T.I. on $3 million bond

Today a federal judge in Atlanta ordered the rapper T.I. released on three million dollars bond. However the musician whose real name is Clifford Harris must remain under house arrest while he awaits trial on weapons charges. Harris will be monitored 24 hours a day by a private monitoring service that he must pay for. Harris - who is already a convicted felon -- was arrested two weeks ago allegedly buying machine guns and silencers.

Rapper T.I. indicted

Yesterday a federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted rapper T.I. on weapons charges. T.I.’s real name is Clifford Harris. The 27-year-old was arrested Saturday in Atlanta for allegedly possessing unregistered machine guns and silencers. Harris is also accused of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.

Rapper T.I. faces weapons charges in Atlanta

Grammy winner and Atlanta-based rapper T.I. is set to make his initial court appearance this afternoon to answer to his weekend arrest on weapons charges. T.I., given name of Clifford Harris, was arrested Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, just hours before he was to take the stage at the BET Hip Hop Awards in town. Harris was arrested in a shopping center parking lot where federal authorities say he had planned to pick-up three machine guns and two silencers that were purchased by his bodyguard. Authorities found other firearms in his car and his south Atlanta home.