The self-proclaimed King of the South, who was up for nine nominations, won two awards. But he couldn't accept any trophies or make the planned performance after being arrested by federal authorities early Saturday.
T.I. was taken into custody in a shopping center parking lot where federal officials said he planned to pick up machine guns and silencers he had his bodyguard buy for him.
The arrest Saturday resulted from an investigation that began this month when a federal firearms licensee contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about a man inquiring about buying a machine gun without registering the weapon as required by law, according to a criminal complaint filed Saturday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.
After trying to buy several machine guns from an undercover ATF agent, the unnamed person began cooperating with the government and said he was buying the machine guns and silencers for Clifford Harris, T.I.'s given name, the complaint said. According to the bodyguard, he had bought about nine firearms for T.I., and the rapper had given him cash to buy guns four different times, it said.
Harris brokered the deals through the bodyguard because he is a convicted felon, the complaint alleged. It is against federal law for a convicted felon to have another person get firearms on their behalf.
The 27-year-old rapper had arranged to pick up the weapons just hours before he was to take the stage at the Hip-Hop Awards, being taped blocks away, according to the complaint.
Sydney Margetson, a spokesman for T.I.'s label, Atlantic Records, declined to comment Saturday.
As the Hip-Hop Awards were being taped in Atlanta on Saturday night, federal authorities were searching T.I.'s home in East Point, about 15 miles southwest of the city.
Half a dozen agents were still searching well into the night, removing boxes and envelopes from the large, red brick house with white columns and ornate glass windows, removing boxes and envelopes.
T.I. had been expected to perform at the BET show, which is to be broadcast Wednesday, and was nominated in nine categories. Instead, the rapper was noticeably absent from red carpet festivities before the show began at 6 p.m., though he was at the center where the show was to be taped.
Saturday was supposed to be a day of revelry for T.I., the co-chief executive of Grand Hustle Records. The self-proclaimed King of the South won three awards at last year's inaugural BET Hip-Hop Awards and received nine nominations this year, including CD of the Year, Lyricist of the Year and MVP of the Year.
Even though the Atlanta-based rapper was present at the Civic Center, where the event was held, he became noticeably absent from the red carpet festivities before the show.
The news of T.I. being arrested rippled throughout the event. Rapper KRS-One, who received BET's "I am Hip Hop" Icon Award, learned about the raid just before he showed up.
KRS-One, whose real name is Lawrence Parker, said the fellow rapper's legal woes should not reflect on the industry as a whole.
"I'm saddened anytime I hear of a hip-hopper being locked up or somehow stunted in his life or his growth," he told The Associated Press. "I hope he wasn't into nothing crazy."
Chicago rapper Common, who won the CD of the year award along with T.I., tried to lend his support.
"I salute my guy T.I., who also won, wherever he is," said Common, while raising up his trophy. He also won lyricist of the year.
Other artists who were supposed to perform with T.I. still pulled off the performance. As Wyclef Jean stood on stage to enact T.I.'s song, "You Know What It Is," host and comedian Katt Williams pranced across the stage dressed like T.I. trying to impersonate him as the crowd burst into laughter.
Alfamega still took the stage with Busta Rhymes for the song "Hurt." As the two rapped, many of the audience members stood seemingly puzzled at T.I.'s absence.
Kanye West was a winner in two categories best live performance and hip-hop video. After West got his trophy for best hip-hop video, he said he thought the video for UGK's "International Players," featuring OutKast, should have been chosen over his.
"I didn't deserve this award above them. They do instead of me," said West, who is typically known more for comments that critics call arrogant.
But Big Boi of OutKast returned the favor to West by giving him the award back saying, "You worked too hard for this. No, you deserve it."
The Hip Hop Awards will air on Oct. 17.
T.I.'s sixth album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., was released July 3 and debuted at No. 1.
In May 2006, T.I.'s best friend, Philant Johnson, was killed and three others were injured in a gun shootout after a post-performance party in Cincinnati. The killer remains at large, and T.I. was briefly locked up a few days after the funeral on suspicion of failing to perform community service stemming from a 2003 arrest.
T.I. grew up in Atlanta and was selling crack by the time he was a teenager. After years of hustling to launch his rap career, recording demos and flying back and forth to New York shopping for a record deal, his first taste of success came with his 2003 album, Trap Muzik.
But the next year, warrants were issued for his arrest on probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to three years behind bars. It wasn't clear Saturday how much of the sentence he actually served.
T.I. hit the big screen in his debut movie, ATL, in March 2006. He has a role opposite Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in American Gangster, set for release Nov. 2.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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