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L

Lay

レイ / れい

American rapper

October 7, 1991 (age 34) ・ Changsha, People's Republic of China

  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • actor

My Take

Lay Zhang is one of those artists who quietly outgrew every box people tried to put him in. He came up through EXO as the lone Chinese member holding it down in a Korean group, and he did it with this understated grace that made you root for him without him ever really asking you to. Then he left for solo activities in China and — instead of fading into the background — built an entire entertainment empire: writing his own music, producing, acting in big-budget Chinese dramas and films, all while running his own studio. The guy from Changsha who started on a Chinese talent show at fourteen somehow became one of the more complete artists to come out of the idol world, and I think that deserves more credit than he usually gets outside Asia.

Overview

Zhang Yixing (born Zhang Jiashuai; (1991-10-07)October 7, 1991), known professionally as Lay Zhang or simply Lay, is a Chinese rapper, singer and actor. After participating in the Chinese talent show Star Academy in 2005, he became a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo and its Chinese sub-unit Exo-M under SM Entertainment in 2012. In 2015, Zhang founded a studio under SM for his solo activities in China.

1. Profile

Name (English)
Lay
Name (Japanese)
レイ
Reading
れい
Born
October 7, 1991 (age 34)
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
Libra / Goat
Origin
Changsha, People's Republic of China
Blood type
Private
Height
Private
Agency
Private
Occupation
rapper / songwriter / actor / dancer / singer

2. Background

Elementary school
Private
Junior high
Private
High school
Private
University
Private

3. Relationships

Spouse
Private
Children
Private
Parents
Private
Siblings
Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

7. About this entry

Tags

  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • actor
Last updated
2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.