Lil Wayne temporarily avoids jail time, thanks to his teeth

Lil Wayne was due to be sentenced for his much reported illegal weapon possession crimes yesterday, but a Manhattan judge put off the rapper’s sentencing until March 2 due to what the rap superstar’s lawyer described as “oral surgery.”

Judge put off rapper’s sentencing
The Grammy Award-winning rapper, whose song "Lollipop" was a No. 1 hit in 2008, has won a month's reprieve from jail so he can fly down to Miami to finish up some major dental surgery before he has to check into jail.

He is poised to spend as much as a year in jail under a plea deal, stemming from his 2007 New York City gun case, but could get a few months cut off that for good behavior.

Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, had pleaded guilty on weapons charges more than three months ago. Under the October guilty plea deal, the rapper had agreed to spend a year in Rikers Island prison.

Rapper’s weapon bust
Wayne was busted July 22, 2007, in New York City when he tried to hide an unregistered, loaded, .40-caliber Springfield Armory semi-automatic gun from cops after his tour bus was pulled over when it was parked on a New York street.

Police alleged at the time that the gun was in a bag which Lil Wayne tossed from his lap when they entered his tour bus. Authorities allegedly were searching the vehicle because they said they smelled pot.

Sentencing delayed
The diminutive rapper was due to turn himself in to begin a one-year jail sentence yesterday but he had his jail sentence postponed at the 11th hour after Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon postponed the sentencing because he needs to finish a string of oral surgeries before he goes to jail.

But, Justice Solomon said the sentencing wouldn’t be put off any further. "I don't want this to get pushed back anymore," he said. "This is the last adjournment."

Dressed in black with his signature dreads tied back in a rubber band, Wayne arrived at the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by his lawyer.

The rapper, who appeared not to be wearing his customary, diamond-encrusted decorative tooth grill, said nothing during the brief court session. He left in a black SUV, flanked by fellow rapper Birdman and others.

His lawyer, Stacey Richman, said the rapper was headed home to Miami for oral surgery Friday. However, she declined to specify the exact nature of the dental work.

"It is a medical situation that, like (it would for) any of us, has to be addressed," she said outside court.

More on the Grammy-winning rap star
Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., on Sept. 27, 1982, in New Orleans, LA, Lil Wayne began his ascendance as one of the Hot Boys, a short-lived Cash Money Records all-star group, and after establishing himself as a successful solo artist, he went on to become a critical favorite, known especially for his entertaining underground mixtapes.

The rap artist won a Grammy last year for best rap solo performance for “A Milli.” His albums include “Tha Carter,” “Tha Carter II” and “Tha Carter III”.