His trial had been set for Jan. 20.

Wayne previously had pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing an illegal gun, which carried at least 3 1/2 years in jail upon conviction. He's free on bail while awaiting his February sentencing.

The somber-looking rapper did not speak as he left the NYC courthouse with members of his entourage, who piled into four SUVs.

Police said that a gun was found on his tour bus in Manhattan in 2007.

Wayne politely answered the judge's standard questions with "yes, sir" and "no, sir" as he entered his plea to second-degree attempted weapon possession, a felony.

He acknowledged that he had a .40 caliber semi-automatic loaded gun on bus.

When the judge warned that he would not be able to withdraw the plea as some people try to do, the rapper said, "I'm not one of those people."

Police pulled over Lil Wayne's tour bus in Columbus Circle on July 22, 2007. They said that they had seen and smelled marijuana smoke wafting out the door before the bus left a concert venue minutes earlier.

Police said that as an officer approached, the rapper tossed away a Louis Vuitton bag containing a gun.

Book price-war update

As a follow-up to yesterday's story on the online price war over books, the American Booksellers Association sent a letter yesterday to the Justice Department, asking for an investigation into the cost-cutting race among Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com.

The booksellers association fears that such prices are "devaluing the very concept of the book" and make it impossible for smaller stores to compete.

Some smaller stores, however, have said that they're not concerned about the price competition. They say that it affects the most commercial books, which are less vital to independent stores than they are to chains.

And other small booksellers are going to use the price war to their advantage. Why buy new hardcovers directly from the publisher or a distributor when you can buy them from Wal-mart for below wholesale and still sell them at a profit?

Tattbits

* Katherine Jackson's attorney, L. Londell McMillan, says that the Jackson family and its matriarch have decided to bring in a new set of attorneys to handle the case.

McMillan, who is Katherine Jackson's personal attorney, declined to say who those attorneys would be, but Tattle can tell you one thing: They're wealthy now and they're soon going to be a whole lot wealthier.

* MTV has been producing so much pseudo-reality programming over the past few years that when the network has something original it catches you by surprise.

But check out the MTV-movie "My Super Psycho Sweet 16," debuting tonight at 10. It's smarter and filled with more horror fun than anyone would have any reason to expect.

Julianna Guill ("Friday the 13th") and Lauren McKnight star.

* Two things that the law frowns upon:

Shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater.

Shouting "Innocent" before the jury makes its mind up.

TMZ.com reports that the mistrial in the John Travolta extortion case occurred because Bahamian lawmaker Picewell Forbes screamed out at a political convention Wednesday night that "Pleasant Bridgewater is a free woman!"

Fearing that someone on the jury, which had not yet rendered its verdict, may have been "communicating" with Forbes, the judge declared a mistrial.

Forbes has been ordered to appear before the judge to explain his big mouth.

* News Corp. says that Hulu, its jointly owned free online video site, will start charging fees for access at some point in the future.

Guess it won't be free anymore.

Chase Carey, News Corp.'s president and COO, says subscription fees could come as early as 2010.

Hulu has struggled to make money despite its popularity as an ad-supported online site for TV shows and movies.

Gee, a free-content Web site struggling to make money. . . .

* After opening the new Giants/Jets stadium next May 26, Bon Jovi will embark on a world tour, performing 135 shows in 30 countries. The tour is so long that when the band finally returns to its home base in New Jersey, they will be able to close the new Giants/Jets stadium.

Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

E-mail gensleh@phillynews.com