Lil Tjay is a talented rapper and singer-songwriter who rose to prominence with the release of his song Resume. He has since released numerous singles, mixtapes, and two studio albums and has found much success in his career. He has gained much prominence thanks to his melodic and artistic music.
Thanks to the success of his music career, Lil Tjay has become a well-known name around the world. Many are interested in knowing more about the rapper himself so in this biography, we will take a look at his early life, musical journey, and more.
Where Did Lil Tjay Grow Up?
The well-known rapper was born Tione Jayden Merritt in New York City, USA on April 30, 2001. He was raised in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx by a single mother alongside his two younger siblings. Lil Tjay has stated that he was a problematic child as he got into school fights and petty robberies.
Moreover, at the age of 15 Tione was arrested for one of his robberies and sentenced to a youth detention center for a year. There he started writing raps, one of which was the hit song Resume. Merritt had a rough time growing up and even lost his childhood friend in August 2016.
When Did Lil Tjay Start His Music Career?
As aforementioned, Lil Tjay started writing raps while at a youth detention center. He released his songs on SoundCloud and Resume was one of his first songs. The song began spreading online quickly and the rapper gained prominence. Then in 2018, Tione competed and won the Coast 2 Coast LIVE NYC All Ages Edition. His performance on the show gained the attention of an A&R who was in attendance to judge the showcase.
Lil Tjay released the single Brothers soon after and this led him to sign with Columbia Records. This was followed by the release of another single None of Your Love, where the rapper sampled the hit song Baby by Justin Bieber. At the end of 2018, he put out his debut EP, No Comparison. In January 2019 Tione was featured in Polo G’s song Pop Out which helped him gain much prominence.
The New York native released his second EP titled F.N. in late 2019 which was followed by his debut studio album, True 2 Myself. Lil Tjay put out another EP State of Emergency in 2020 which was also a great success. He was also involved in projects with other artists including the late artists, Pop Smoke’s posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, and Aim for the Moon. He was also included in XXl’s Freshman Class in 2020.
Lil Tjay started teasing his new project in October 2020 but only released the single Calling My Phone in February 2021. This was followed by a few other singles before the rapper put out his second studio album, Destined 2 Win in April 2021. The project was released through Columbia Records and was a huge success.
Along with the success of his albums, Lil Tjay has also been on nationwide tours throughout 2019. He has also performed at numerous festivals including the Rolling Loud Miami Festival and the Los Angeles festival. Furthermore, he has performed with his close friend Jay Gwuapo on numerous occasions. Well, it is evident that the rapper has gained much prominence through his music and we wish him even more success in the coming days.
What Incident Has Lil Tjay Been Involved In?
While music is what made Lil Tjay famous in the first place, he has been in the news for several other reasons. In June 2022, Tione was shot several times during an attempted robbery in New Jersey. He then underwent emergency surgery at the Hackensack University Medical Center. Along with the rapper, his friend Antoine Boyd was also shot but was reportedly in stable condition.
Lil Tjay recovered well from his injuries and is doing well now. But in January 2023, the rapper was arrested in the Bronx, New York following a traffic stop. The police reportedly found a handgun in his vehicle and then arrested him. Merritt was charged with weapon possession but his attorney claims the gun found by police did not belong to him.
Is Lil Tjay In A Relationship?
Talking about his love life, Lil Tjay has remained quiet regarding his personal life. He has not shared many details regarding his relationships. But there have been reports about Tione being in a relationship with model Lala Baptiste. The pair were reportedly together from 2020 to 2021 but neither of them has confirmed it.
Nonetheless, we hope that the talented rapper is happy with his life.