Is the Hip Hop Industry Dirtier Than the Dope Game?

In federal court today (Oct. 19), a federal judge has denied the request of T.I.'s legal team to grant bond to the rapper.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, T.I. lawyers had presented the $2.2 million bond request to U.S. Magistrate Alan Baverman this morning. Additional conditions of the bond would have included T.I. agreeing to stay in his home 24 hours a day and be subject to electronic monitoring, additional bonds backed by his record company, record company executives and the equity of his two homes.

Baverman denied bond but said he would hold another hearing next Friday (Oct. 26) to further consider the conditions set forth by T.I.'s lawyers.

"I haven't decided on releasing him yet," Baverman said, "I just haven't heard the conditions yet and I'm not satisfied."

The bond proposal from Harris's (T.I.) lawyers included a $2.2 million bond with a cash deposit of $500,000; a $1 million signature bond signed by Atlantic Records; five $100,000 signature bonds signed by five Atlantic Records and Warner Music executives; two $100,000 surety bonds from different bonding companies and the equity of the Harris' homes, which lawyer Ed Garland said are worth $1.5 million.

T.I. was arraigned at the Friday hearing and pleaded not guilty to the weapons charges.

A lawyer said T.I. would also allow an independent monitor to live in the home and search anyone coming or going. The monitoring would be paid for by T.I.

Baverman said he wants more information on the companies that do such monitoring and exactly who would be assigned to the rapper's home.

The judge also set the tentative conditions if he does grant bond: Harris must post a $2 million cash bond; plus the equity in all properties he owns, must be locked down in his house 24/7, must wear an electronic monitoring device, consent to any searches, be screened for unlawful drug use, remove any safes in the home and be allowed to live only with his girlfriend and children.

Prosecutors, who oppose bond for T.I., told Baverman that the conditions were a "close call" as to whether or not they were acceptable. Also at Friday's hearing, prosecutors revealed that T.I. had up to half-a-pound of marijuana in his vehicle at the time of his arrest.

Baverman let the rapper know he was disappointed that he had told a pre-trial services officer that he hadn't smoked marijuana in a year but at the time of his arrest, T.I. told agents that he had smoked marijuana to get ready for the BET Hip-Hop Awards ceremony.

In a plus for the rapper, Baverman said that he was impressed with the information provided by Harris' lawyers that showed the rapper had been "exceptionally generous and has reached out to the community, particularly the community of the underprivileged with great generosity."

T.I. was indicted on three federal charges Wednesday (October 16) and charged with possessing unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawfully possessing machine guns and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.