Lil Tjay

Emerging from the Bronx, Lil Tjay has established himself as a central figure in the New York drill movement, supported by multiple albums that reached strong chart positions and a string of singles that earned platinum status. He first attracted listeners in the late 2010s through a pair of favorably received EPs before folding R&B textures into his sound and securing steady Billboard visibility with projects such as 2021’s Destined 2 Win. Songs like “Beat the Odds” and “Give You What You Want” set the stage for his third full-length effort, 222, issued in 2023, which was followed by further releases including 2024’s “Told Ya” and “Legacy.”

While serving time on robbery charges, Tione Jayden Merritt, professionally known as Tjay, turned to writing verses as a means of coping with his sentence. After gaining release in 2016, the still-teenage rapper began laying down tracks and circulating them online. Several recordings quickly amassed millions of streams, spotlighting his characteristically somber style that blended melodic hooks with reflections on hardship first drafted behind bars. “Resume” became his first fully solo track, spreading rapidly and surpassing 14 million streams in just over a year. He continued issuing standalone pieces throughout 2018, many of which also achieved multi-million sales and streaming totals.

Independent releases such as “Brothers,” “Goat,” and “Leaked” generated substantial momentum, prompting major labels to pursue him. Tjay signed with Columbia, which issued the five-song EP No Comparison at the close of 2018. A second EP, F.N, followed in August 2019 and contained the singles “Ruthless” featuring Jay Critch and “Laneswitch.” That brief project marked his initial Billboard 200 entry and was soon succeeded by his first proper studio album, True 2 Myself. The set earned gold certification, landed inside the Top Five of the main album chart, and included his earlier hits alongside the previously unreleased “Hold On.”

Riding the momentum of his debut LP, Tjay released his third EP, State of Emergency, in May 2020. The Top 40 project featured “Zoo York” with Fivio Foreign and the late Pop Smoke. Later that year he offered the R&B-oriented single “None of Your Love.” In 2021 he delivered “Calling My Phone,” a melodic trap collaboration with 6LACK that debuted at number three on the Billboard charts, his strongest placement to that point. His second studio album, Destined 2 Win, arrived shortly afterward, widening his drill foundation through varied songwriting approaches and including appearances by Polo G, Offset, Saweetie, and others; it opened at number five on the Top 100 albums chart.

Later in 2021 Tjay linked with fellow New York rappers Fivio Foreign and Kay Flock for the single “Not in the Mood.” The Top 40 track “In My Head” surfaced in 2022, followed by “Goin Up” and “Beat the Odds,” while “Give You What You Want” closed the year. Throughout 2023 he appeared on singles such as Rich the Kid’s “Do You Love Me?” and Sleepy Hallow’s “Pain Talk.” “June 22,” which recounts the shooting that left him unconscious, arrived one year after the incident and preceded his third album, 222, which reached number 24 on the Billboard 200. “I Should’ve Known” featuring Kyle Richh came next, and “Told Ya” served as Tjay’s first single of 2024. Additional tracks that year included “No No,” “Took a While (Be Us),” and “Legacy.”