NEW YORK – Unlocking a stainless steel briefcase, Fabolous’ money manager removed $15,000 in cash and slid the crisp bills under a courthouse window Wednesday – freeing the wounded Brooklyn rapper on bail shortly after he was hit with gun charges.

The 28-year-old lyricist, whose real name is John Jackson, was arraigned on five counts of criminal possession of a weapon related to a shoot-em’-up near hip-hop mogul Sean (Diddy) Combs’ Manhattan restaurant.

As an armed court officer stood nearby, Fabolous’ moneyman took advantage of the publicity surrounding the early Tuesday shooting – and proclaimed the wounded rapper’s next album will be released in February.

“I’m shameful for saying this – but you got to take advantage,” Kevin Webb said before pushing 15 piles of $100 bills, all still in their bank wrappers, under the cashier’s window.

Fabolous, who was shot in the thigh during the gunplay, was less jovial as he limped out of Manhattan Criminal Court and got into a Mercedes.

Before driving off, Fabolous said he did not see the shooter who allegedly ambushed him in a parking lot near Diddy’s restaurant Justin’s.

“I have no idea,” Fabolous said, his right thigh bandaged.

His cell mate, Rashad Ray Stancil, who had been arrested for allegedly smoking pot, said the rapper was quiet while in custody. “His legs were killing him pretty bad,” said Stancil, 24.

Prosecutors said a witness who heard gunshots outside the restaurant wrote down the make and license plate of a vehicle leaving the scene. Cops then stopped the Dodge Magnum blocks away and found Fabolous bleeding inside.

After taking him to the hospital, cops searched the car and found two illegal, loaded handguns stashed in hidden compartments, police sources said.

The rapper and three other men in the Magnum were arrested. But Fabolous’ lawyer Alberto Ebanks said the guns didn’t belong to his client and insisted the Magnum belonged to his bodyguard.

“If the KKK had pulled up and said, “I’ll take you to the emergency room, he would have said, “Thank you very much,”‘ Ebanks said.

Cops were investigating whether the gunplay was related to the shooting of Fabolous’ brother or the mugging of Boston Celtics point guard Sebastian Telfair, who told cops his $50,000 chain was ripped from his neck outside Justin’s.