Rapper Soulja Boy has shocked fans by announcing he is heading to jail this week (begs17Feb14).

The Crank That (Soulja Boy) hitmaker, real name DeAndre Way, shared the news with his Twitter.com followers on Saturday night (15Feb14), but the reasons for his looming stint behind bars were unknown as Wenn went to press.

The hip-hop star, 23, tweeted, "5 more days until I go to jail. Appreciate everyone who was there for me while I needed y'all (sic)."

The news comes less than a month after he was arrested in California for illegal possession of a loaded gun.

Way was previously busted for felony drug and gun charges in 2011, and he was charged with obstruction of justice in 2009 after running from Georgia police during a video shoot in an abandoned building.