In December of 2019, many hip-hop fans tuned in to follow the unfolding courtroom narrative of the year: the trial of . As dramatic tweets from Inner City Press poured in and Akademiks’ zany Livestream intensified, Judge Paul Engelmayer finally read his verdict: two years for the Rainbow-haired pest who won hearts and burned bridges. While time served does apply to the two-year sentence, 6ix9ine still felt unsafe behind bars and his legal team recently request that the rapper . Alas, it was not in the cards.

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Complex reports that Judge Engelmayer has decided to reject the request, reasoning that to do so would undermine the severity of 6ix9ine’s criminal activity. “[T]he Court’s determination was, and is, that a 24-month prison sentence is necessary in this case,” he maintains. Still, it’s not all bad news for those eagerly awaiting his return — with time served applied, we could be seeing his return to freedom by August of this year.

In the meantime, 6ix9ine will continue to serve his remaining months in a private jail with or without the presence of scorned Bloods. It’s as of yet unclear whether he intends on continuing where his music career left off, or whether his newfound reputation will even allow him to raise his voice on wax. Either way, you already know that 6ix9ine’s homecoming will be a big one  —