Lil Boosie Says He Needed Rehab, Not Jail

Troubled rapper Lil Boosie, who recently violated house arrest in order to perform two concerts, has made a public statement begging to be put into drug rehab for his alleged addiction to marijuana. Though Boosie, born Torrence Hatch, initially claimed his upcoming prison sentence would be good for his career, the additional time he has received due to his parole violation has apparently changed his mind.

"If I made a mistake with marijuana, why am I not eligible for rehab?" Boosie questioned. "I've been on marijuana since a teenager. I need some rehab. Jail is not rehab."

Boosie was convicted of possession of marijuana, his third offense. He has also been arrested for weapons possession and battery.

He claims his "severe" sentencing was due to his perceived persona, rather than his actual crimes, and that he was forced to perform the concert dates in question in order to prevent legal repercussions, as he has previously been sued for failing to appear at concerts.

"They're treating me on who they think I am. They judging me on Boosie Bad Azz, not Torrence Hatch," Boosie told a local television network. "I had to do these two shows these last two days to feed my family."

Boosie has seven children, with another on the way. While he admits that he is to blame for his decisions, he expressed regret that he will now have to miss the birth of his child, due to being incarcerated. "I blame it on myself, because things I did I wanted to. Trouble is easy to get into, but it's hard to get out. I won't be able to see my child born, yeah that hurts," he explained.

The rapper is currently incarcerated at Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, where he is serving his two year sentence, which will be followed by five years of probation.

His album, 'Superbad: The Return of Boosie Bad Azz,' was released in September.