Angola State Penitentiary Warden Burl Cain confirms the rapper, who is legally named Torrence Hatch, was released at 7:10 p.m. He was transferred to a sheriff's department facility in St. Francisville where family members were waiting for him.
A native of Baton Rouge, the rapper has fans worldwide who have commonly used the term "Free Boosie" since his incarceration.
Boosie has been serving prison time on drug charges in 2009. The Louisiana Department of Corrections Wednesday afternoon had the rapper's official release date listed as May 20, 2014.
In 2012, the rapper went on trial for murder but was found not guilty. Prosecutors called more than two dozen witnesses in the trial but a jury rendered a verdict after just one hour of deliberating. He was accused of hiring a man to kill a local rap artist.
He will remain on parole until 2018.
Boosie is scheduled to attend a news conference in New Orleans Monday, organized by Atlantic Records. A press conference that will take place March 10. Atlantic Records' Ashley Kalmanowitz explained to NOLA that he will "absolutely" be attending the event, where the Baton Rouge native will speak for the first time since he was sentenced to five years in prison for various charges. "He will absolutely be there," she said. "He'll be speaking to the press for the first time ... after his release." His most recent charge was in 2011, when he pleaded guilty for attempting to smuggle narcotics in prison. Kalmanowitz wouldn't comment on Boosie's deal with Atlantic, stating the rapper would explain that during his press conference as well. "(Lil Boosie) is actually going to be clearing all that stuff up for everybody there, so I'm going to let him relay that information."
