T.I.’s family and friends got an early Christmas present on Tuesday (Dec. 22) when the rapper came one step closer to freedom.

The King of the South, born Clifford Harris Jr., was released from prison after about seven months and will serve the remainder of his sentence in a correctional facility near Fulton County Airport in his hometown of Atlanta, Ga., according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His sentence is currently scheduled to end March 26, 2010, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

His attorney, Steve Sadow, confirmed his client’s release to the newspaper, saying it is “not out of the ordinary.”

In May, Tip began serving a 366-day sentence at a low-security federal prison in Forrest City, Ark., on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers.