NEW YORK — A toothache can keep you out of jail? Who knew?

Lil Wayne was to be officially sentenced for up to a year in jail on Tuesday, but the judge postponed sentencing so that the superstar rapper can complete a string of dental surgeries.

Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon rescheduled sentencing to March 2, and said he wouldn’t put it off again.

The Grammy Award winning artist, born Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty last fall to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, after he admitted to police he illegally loaded a .40-calibre semi-automatic gun on his tour bus in July 2007. New York police found the loaded gun when they pulled over the bus after a concert.

In his plea deal, Lil Wayne agreed to serve a year, but could get freed after eight months with good behaviour.

Lil Wayne arrived on the 13th floor of the Manhattan criminal court building at 2:07 p.m., and bolted straight to the men’s room with a friend. He emerged a few minutes later and walked, with conviction, into the court room, showing no emotions as he passed through a cloud of camera flashes.

Wearing black Levi’s jeans, black Converse runners, a black shirt and puffy navy-blue coat, the dreadlocks-adorned rapper had an entourage of about 15 people, mostly men who looked and dressed just like him.

A few fans sat in silence in the courtroom. Lil Wayne didn’t have to say a word throughout the brief hearing.

His lawyer, Stacey Richman, explained that Lil Wayne was to fly to Miami Tuesday night for his latest in a series of dental surgeries, and will need a week to recover.

Assistant District Attorney Joan Illluzzi-Orbon grudgingly stipulated that it was “medically necessary,” after having spoken to the rapper’s Miami dentist.

The artist left the courtroom immediately after the hearing. He and his entourage piled into four waiting black SUVs and sped away, as a few fans and paparazzi tried to take pictures.

Lil Wayne’s latest CD, Rebirth, hit stores just last week. He won four Grammys last year for his previous album, Tha Carter III.

MJ.parent@sunmedia.ca