Plea offer to rapper is pulled

Busta Rhymes will face trial on two assault charges after a New York judge withdrew a plea offer Monday that would have let the rapper remain free.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Tanya Kennedy withdrew the offer that included probation, community service and a series of lectures to troubled youth. She cited his recent arrest for driving with a suspended license as the reason.

After the judge withdrew her plea offer, the 34-year-old rapper (real name: Trevor Smith) rejected a follow-up offer by the prosecution of one year in jail for each of two counts of assault -- to run concurrently -- and a $500 fine for the suspended license charge, and will go to trial instead.

Kennedy tentatively set the trial to begin May 8.