Hip Hop artist T.I., aka Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.; aka King of the South, wearing a gray business suit pleaded guilty to federal weapons possession charges today in Atlanta.

In a plea deal the hip hop artist must complete at least 1,000 hours of a total 1,500 hours of community service, talking to youth groups about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs. Then he will be sentenced in March 09 to about a year in prison.

The well known hip hop figure spoke to the press briefly after the hearing and said:

"I''d like to thank God for blessing me with a second chance in life and success," he said, adding that he takes the charges against him very seriously.

"I''m looking forward to turning this negative time in my life into a positive," he said. "I know I have a long road of redemption to travel."