Coolio has pleaded guilty to charges of illegal weapons possession and was handed a ten-day jail sentence by a California judge Wednesday.| The rapper -- born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. -- must also complete forty hours of community service and will be on probation for two years.

Coolio was charged with illegal weapons possession last September when police pulled him over for driving his Hummer on the wrong side of a residential street and found a 9mm pistol and loaded bullet clip in the vehicle. Coolio had claimed at the time that he was driving across the street to drop off his children.

The sentence was handed down yesterday by Torrance, Calif. Superior Court Judge Andrew Kauffman following a lengthy period in which Coolio repeatedly changed his plea. Coolio has until September 7 to complete his jail sentence.

ANDREW DANSBY(July 9, 1999)