Atlanta-based hip-hop star T. I. (born Clifford Harris) pleaded guilty yesterday to federal weapons charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and machine guns.

T. I. was arrested Oct. 13 just hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. The rapper, who scored big in July with his sixth CD, T. I. vs. T. I. P., was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns.

The 27-year-old, who tried his hand at acting in American Gangster, has been under house arrest since Oct. 26 when he was released from jail on a $3 mil bond. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, but he's been given a chance to have his sentence reduced. The judge has decided to give the artist a year before he's sentenced so he can prove himself by completing a gazillion hours of community service.

Remy Ma: Guilty

Not a good day for hip-hop stars. Rap diva Remy Ma (Remy Smith) was found guilty yesterday of shooting and wounding a woman named Makeda Barnes Joseph last year outside a nightclub. The 26-year-old rapper, who was tried for assault and related charges in New York state Supreme Court, faces up to 25 years in prison.

L.A. Times: D'oh! . . .

The Los Angeles Times' Web site has posted a note from editor Russ Stanton apologizing for a story that claimed associates of Sean Combs were guilty of the '94 shooting of rival rapper Tupac Shakur. The Times acknowledged that its story relied on forged documents purported to be from the FBI.

Liz: Lose the grapefruits, girl!

Gossip industry legend Liz Smith, 85, is miffed at her old friend Nicole Kidman over the Aussie beauty's (alleged) decision to have her breasts surgically augmented.

"Are those breasts for real?" Liz asks in her latest column on the online mag Women on the Web (www.wowowow.com).

"I admire a fine belle poitrine [breast] as much as anyone," Liz writes, "but I can't stand these added-on half grapefruits that look as unnatural as can be. I have known Nicole for a long time now and her natural assets were quite good enough to start with." Hear, hear!

Justin's is a sporting life

Sports fanatic Justin Timberlake, 27, has been chosen by ESPN to host the cabler's 16th annual ESPY awards at L.A.'s new Nokia Theatre on July 20. The event recognizes great achievements in sports.

"I can't wait for the day of the show as I'm truly a sports junkie," Justin said. "Since the last ESPYs, there have been amazing moments in sports, and I'm looking forward to recapping all of them with ESPN's die-hard fans." (Whoa, awesome! I'm, like, high-fiving myself.)

Moby straightens out controversy

Preeminent gay publication the Advocate has a stunning revelation: "Moby's not gay."

In a playful interview with the famed techno-geek musician (excerpted by Gawker.com), the mag asks whether Moby stands by his controversial pronouncement that gays are "superior to straight people."

"Yeah," says Moby, "and I also said that if and when I ever have children, I want gay children, which didn't really endear me to the Christian right wing of America."

Ryan's 'bizarre' encounter

How would you feel if you saw your ex-wife with her new beau? Ryan Phillippe, for one, was Twilight Zoned. "It's bizarre," the Flags of Our Fathers star told USA Today about seeing photos of his ex, Reese Witherspoon, and her new sweetie, Jake Gyllenhaal. Alas, Ryan would not discuss his own sex life. He's rumored to be going steady with actress Abbie Cornish.

Obama: One cuddly doll

Internet doll purveyor Herobuilders.com, which makes 12-inch plastic action figures based on public figures, is getting into the electoral spirit with a set of dolls representing the presidential candidates, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama - and the newly introduced Sen. John McCain.

But it seems company prez Emil Vicale has a favorite candidate: He's created a second doll for Obama. That'd be the squeezable - soft 'n' cuddly - plush 8-inch Obamakinz.

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Contact "SideShow" at sideshow@phillynews.com.

This article contains information from Inquirer news services and Web sites.