Dancehall recording artiste Laden, whose real name is O’keefe Aarons, will soon be a free man as his release from prison is imminent, OBSERVER ONLINE has been informed.

The Time to Shine singer is expected to be released from prison on Friday after serving almost 30 months of a four-year prison sentence for firearm possession.

“All the documents dem sign already, and his family and everybody outside, and dem a wait pon him to come out now at the prison in town. We’re just here waiting for him to get to Junction, people excited for him to come out, ah big ting ah go gwaan,” one source told OBSERVER ONLINE.

READ: Laden to spend 4 years in prison

Attorney-at-law Thomas Levene confirmed that he had “heard” that the deejay would be released Friday, but could not give an official comment.

In December 2020, Laden was sentenced to four years imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm and 18 months for illegal possession of ammunition after pleading guilty to the charges. Both sentences had been set to run concurrently so he would serve a maximum of 4 years. He had been in lock up three months prior to his initial sentencing.

The police reported that about 10:40 pm on October 28, lawmen were in Cheapside, St Elizabeth, when they signalled the driver of a black Mercedes-Benz motor car to stop.

The driver, which turned out to be Laden, initially complied with the order, but sped off when the police approached.

A chase ensued and, during the chase, an object was seen being thrown from the sunroof of the car.

The object turned out to be a firearm.

Laden rose to fame as a Digicel Rising Star top 10 finalist under the stage name ‘Jim Laden’, and is known for songs like Time to Shine, Feelings too Heavy and Never Lonely.