Biography
Who is Lil Tjay?
Early life and real name
Tione Jayden Merritt, known professionally as Lil Tjay, was born on April 30, 2001, in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. He grew up with two younger siblings, raised by a single mother in an apartment. During his youth, Lil Tjay often got into school fights and petty robberies, which he later described as problematic behavior.
At the age of fifteen, Lil Tjay was arrested for a robbery and sentenced to a year at a youth detention center. While serving his time at the facility, he began writing raps and created music that he would later share online. His early experiences in the Bronx shaped much of his perspective before he pursued music full time.
How Lil became famous
In 2017, Lil Tjay began releasing music on SoundCloud, sharing early tracks like Resume when he was sixteen years old. The music quickly spread online and gained traction among listeners. In March 2018, he competed and placed first at the NYC All Ages Edition of Coast 2 Coast LIVE, where his performance caught the attention of a record label representative.
Shortly after that show, Lil Tjay released the single Brothers, which became his biggest song at the time. The success of the track led to him signing a recording contract with Columbia Records. Within his first ten months in the industry, several of his tracks accumulated millions of plays on streaming platforms.
Career highlights
Lil Tjay reached the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time through a guest appearance on Polo G's single Pop Out, which peaked at number eleven. His own single F.N became his first charting track as a lead artist. These releases preceded his debut studio album, True 2 Myself, which came out in October 2019 and debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200.
His second studio album, Destined 2 Win, was released in April 2021 and featured the successful single Calling My Phone in collaboration with singer 6lack. The track debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the highest-charting single of his career. He later released his third studio album, titled 222, in July 2023.
Legal issues and personal life
On June 22, 2022, Lil Tjay was shot seven times during an attempted robbery in Edgewater, New Jersey. He was flown to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery and spent time hospitalized before recovering. He later released the single Beat the Odds to detail his near-fatal experience and subsequent recovery.
In January 2023, Lil Tjay was arrested following a traffic stop in the Bronx after police found a handgun in the vehicle. He was charged with weapon possession, though his attorney defended him by stating the gun did not belong to him and that the search was conducted illegally.
Birthday and age
Lil Tjay was born on April 30, 2001, which makes Lil 25 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Lil shares the date with 57 other famous people.
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