The self proclaimed King of the South may be home in a few days. T.I. is nearing the end of his 11-month prison sentence, which he's serving in Georgia's Forrest City Correctional Facility for a parole violation stemming from an L.A. drug arrest. The MC will be released to a halfway house on August 31, according to MTV News, one month earlier than his initial release date of September 29. 

And for fans wondering if the Atlanta bred rapper is ready to return to music, his close friends allude that he is. 

T.I.'s buddy DJ Drama announced recently that the troubled MC is working on a book along with his release date. "8/31 -- #kingback. @Tip," Drama tweeted on Monday (August 29).

Producer LaMar "Mars" Edwards also mentioned that the King would be home soon. "He’ll always be my brother, he’ll always be a friend and production partner," Mars told XXL Magazine. "I’ll always be working with Tip. He’s been sitting for a year. So I’ve been thinking about my brother. I have all different types of directions, all types of different stuff."

During his incarceration, T.I., born Clifford Harris Jr., kept in touch with fans on his fan website TrapMuzik.com. Recently, Tip had this to say to his fans: "Next time you hear from me, I'll be back out there with you," he wrote. "Doing for those who can't do for themselves and speaking for those whose voices are never heard. When I touch down, I'm going all the way back to square one, like I'm fresh in the game and never sold a record. Back on some I'M SERIOUS, TRAP MUZIK sh--. ... But until then RESPECT to all who deserve it."

(Photo: by Brad Barket/PictureGroup)