Lil Tjay Bio
Tione Jayden Merritt, known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter born on April 30, 2001. Raised in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, he began uploading tracks to SoundCloud in 2017 and quickly built a following with his melodic, Auto-Tune-laced style. He signed with Columbia Records in 2018 and went on to release a string of commercially successful projects, including three studio albums and several charting singles. Today, Lil Tjay is recognized as one of the leading voices of the new generation of New York hip-hop.
Early Life and Background
Lil Tjay was born and raised in the Fordham section of the Bronx, where he grew up in a closely knit household. He was raised by a single mother and has two younger siblings, and he has described himself as the most troublesome of the three children, recalling frequent involvement in school fights and minor trouble on the streets. At the age of 15, he was arrested for a robbery and was sentenced to a year at a youth detention center.
It was during that year of incarceration that Lil Tjay began writing rap lyrics in earnest, channeling his experiences into verses. One of the first songs he completed during that period was “Resume,” which he later released on SoundCloud after his release. The track spread rapidly online and helped establish his reputation as a fresh voice from the Bronx.
Tragedy also marked his teenage years. On August 14, 2016, his childhood friend, Smelly, was fatally stabbed. Lil Tjay has paid tribute to Smelly in multiple songs throughout his career, often referencing him by name as a way of honoring their bond and the loss he carries.
Path to Music
Lil Tjay’s musical path began in 2017, when he started uploading his tracks to SoundCloud at the age of 16. “Resume” was among the earliest songs he released, and it quickly caught the attention of listeners in the New York drill and melodic rap scenes. His songs “Brothers,” “Resume,” “Goat,” and “Leaked” each accumulated tens of millions of streams, and within ten months of starting, he had placed five tracks past the one-million-play mark on the platform.
A pivotal moment arrived on March 10, 2018, when he competed at the NYC All Ages Edition of Coast 2 Coast LIVE and placed first. A record label A&R representative in the audience took notice of his performance, which helped open the door to a deal. Later that year, he released the single “Brothers,” which became his biggest song at the time and led directly to a recording contract with Columbia Records.
He capped 2018 with his debut EP, No Comparison, and followed it in 2018 with “None of Your Love,” a single that sampled Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and earned him broader recognition. In January 2019, he was featured on Polo G’s “Pop Out,” which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave him his first chart entry.
Lil Tjay Career
Early Career (2017-2019)
Between 2017 and 2019, Lil Tjay transitioned from SoundCloud phenomenon to mainstream recording artist. In July 2019, he released his lead single “F.N,” which peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became his first solo charting entry. He then released the F.N EP later that year. In December 2019, he was featured on a remix of 24kGoldn’s “Valentino,” further expanding his profile.
Lil Tjay released his debut studio album, True 2 Myself, on October 11, 2019. The album debuted and peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard 200, cementing his status as a chart-level artist and one of the breakout rappers of his year.
Breakthrough (2019-2021)
The success of True 2 Myself positioned Lil Tjay as a star of New York’s next wave. In early 2020, his single “20/20” peaked at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100, and on May 8, 2020, he released the drill-focused EP State of Emergency. The seven-song project included “Zoo York” featuring Fivio Foreign and Pop Smoke, which peaked at number 65 on the Hot 100.
In July 2020, he appeared on Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, on the track “Mood Swings,” which reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. On August 11, 2020, he was included in XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class, a milestone recognition for rising rappers.
On February 12, 2021, Lil Tjay released “Calling My Phone,” a collaboration with Atlanta singer 6lack. The single debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting single of his career. It was followed by “Headshot” with Polo G and Fivio Foreign, the second single from his second studio album, Destined 2 Win, which was released on April 2, 2021, and included twenty-one tracks.
Notable Works and Milestones
Lil Tjay’s signature works include the studio albums True 2 Myself (2019), Destined 2 Win (2021), and 222 (2023), along with the singles “Resume” (2017), “Brothers” (2018), and “Calling My Phone” (2021). His “Pop Out” feature with Polo G marked his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, and “Calling My Phone” peaked at number 3, representing his highest-charting single. He has also performed at major festivals, including Rolling Loud in Miami Gardens, Los Angeles, and New York, and toured nationwide with Lil Mosey in 2019.
Lil Tjay Award Nominations
Verified details regarding specific award nominations for Lil Tjay are not available from the provided sources, so a detailed list of nominations cannot be presented with confidence.
Lil Tjay Awards Won
Verified details regarding specific award wins for Lil Tjay are not available from the provided sources, so a detailed list of award wins cannot be presented with confidence.
Lil Tjay Family
Lil Tjay was raised by a single mother and has two younger siblings. He has often described himself as the most troublesome of the three children, reflecting on a childhood shaped by the close bond with his family and the challenges of growing up in the Bronx.
Personal Life
On June 22, 2022, Lil Tjay was shot seven times during an attempted robbery in Edgewater, New Jersey, and was flown to Hackensack University Medical Center for emergency surgery. After weeks of recovery and public uncertainty about his condition, he was confirmed to be alert and talking in early July 2022. On August 26, 2022, he released the single “Beat the Odds,” which detailed his near-fatal experience and his return to music, and he returned to the stage at Rolling Loud New York on September 23, 2022.