At long last, Bobby Shmurda is set to be a free man once again. With his prison release date confirmed for Tuesday, February 23rd, many have been curious to see how the New York icon bounces back from such an extended absence. As his mother revealed, Bobby is initially planning to keep his first day out low-key by way of an intimate family dinner. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him quickly lured into a celebratory state by the leagues of artists and fans alike, many of whom have remained loyal for the duration of the rapper’s seven-year bid.

Bobby Shmurda

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With the big day only a few hours away, Shmurda took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message of gratitude to those who played a role in preserving his momentum and legacy. Though he was forced to use a second account after hackers hijacked his official page, Shmurda made sure to let his people know that they remain appreciated to the fullest. “My team created this Instagram page after my original page was hacked but thanks to my dedicated fans I manage to get my page verified,” he writes. “Also 1M followers without ever being active on this page.”

“Thank you for riding this six-year sentence out with me,” he continues. “I love you all and look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, Bod boy Bobby.” Those interested in keeping up to date with Bobby’s new page should follow “realbobbyshmurdags9” on Instagram; the account currently sits at 1.3 million followers. Look for that number to climb once the reality of his new situation sits in and the new music begins to surface. Are you excited to see Bobby Shmurda once again integrated into the hip-hop landscape?