Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., pleaded guilty to attempted weapon possession in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday — and is to be sentenced to a year in prison. The Rap superstar plead guilty to gun possession yesterday, thanks to the .40-caliber Springfield Armory semiautomatic cops confiscated from his tour bus after a concert two years ago at the Beacon Theatre. Just like New York Giant Plaxico Burress, Lil Wayne opted out of risking going to trial and being convicted of the original top charge of outright possession, where he could have been hit with the mandatory minimum of 3½ years in prison under New York’s stringent gun laws. Lil Wayne will next appear in court on Dec. 15 and he’ll be sentenced in February, the New York district attorney spokeswoman said. Wayne’s plea could have larger implications for the release of his next album and his ability to tour to promote that collection. The artist has been working on a long-awaited rock ‘n’ roll effort, “Rebirth,” an album scheduled to be released coincidentally also on Dec. 15.
