NEW YORK — Lil Wayne is a free man again.
The 28-year-old rapper was released early Thursday from Rikers Island jail after serving eight months in a gun case.
"FREE AT LAST!!!!!!!" his longtime manager, Cortez Bryant, wrote earlier today on Twitter.
Lil Wayne spent the past several weeks in solitary confinement after prison officials determined he was in possession of musical contraband. The move was prompted after officials found headphones and a charger for a digital music player inside the "Lollipop" singer's cell back in May.
The Grammy winner kept his career in full-swing despite being locked up, having released his latest album, I Am Not a Human Being, in September.
Lil Wayne began serving a yearlong jail sentence for gun possession on March 8. On Tuesday, he thanked his fans in an open letter posted online.
"As I greet you all in my last days on this island, I must reflect," he wrote. "I think back to when I first arrived and I had no clue of what I'd be experiencing. I was never scared, worried, nor bothered by the situation. For that, I thank God, my family, and you, my amazing fans. I prayed for you all every night, as I'm aware that I was in your prayers as well.
"The very first day that I received mail, it was about 300 pieces or more! I smiled like a child of Christmas. But when I began to read them, my heart smiled. I laughed with some of you, reasoned with some of you, and even cried with some of you. I responded to as many of you that time would allow. I plan to keep reading and responding after my release.
"I thank you all for being so very supportive, as I never imagined how much impact my words and life can have. With this knowledge, I vow to continue to be me! For you have assured time that I don’t have to change for no one but God. I will be the same Martian I was when I left, just better."
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