RAPPER T.I. DEEMED ELIGIBLE TO VOTE

Convicted felon T.I. has been deemed eligible to exercise his vote in the upcoming U.S. election - after finding a loophole in Georgia law. The Whatever You Like hitmaker, real name Clifford Harris Jr., is facing a one year prison sentence in March next year (09) after pleading guilty to illegal possession of three machine guns and two silencers following his 2007 arrest.

The star assumed his current legal status meant he was ineligible to vote in the presidential elections next week (04Nov08), so was surprised to learn that unless he was serving probation or a prison sentence, he was still able to perform his civic duty.

And the rapper, who has been encouraging youths to go out and vote, took advantage of the rule on Wednesday (29Oct08) morning when he rushed out to a polling station in Atlanta to register his first ever vote. Brandishing a sticker reading 'I'm a Georgia Voter', he says, "It's a relief.

This what it is all about, not staying up late and waking up early to vote. Now rather than just talking about it, I'm being about it. I'm leading by example, and it makes me feel a lot better." And his lawyer Steve Sadow insists T.I. is fully entitled to vote.

He adds, "Until he is sentenced in the federal case, he doesn't have a conviction yet. Even though he is a convicted felon, he has a right to vote since he is not serving probation and hasn't started his prison sentence." T.I. has previously served time for firearms, drug and assault offences.

Check the Ron Clark Academy kids doing the T.I voting rap.....First the group version, then the live CNN studio version and finally the full interview with the kids. Is it me or am I seeing some versions of T.I's boys in that video especially Messiah and Domani? King's a cutie in the middle.