Photo: Layneartz19 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Lil Tjay represents the Bronx pipeline that keeps refreshing New York rap, and his rise feels very much of its streaming-era moment. Born Tione Merritt in 2001, he broke through with Resume in 2017, then turned Brothers into a triple-platinum calling card and a Columbia deal before he was twenty. What interests me is the blend he leans on, melodic singing fused with hard street narrative, which lets him reach further than pure rap usually does. That versatility is his edge. He came up fast and young, and the open question I'd watch is whether he keeps evolving past the sound that made him.
Overview
Tione Jayden Merritt (IPA: [taj.oʊn d͡ʒeɪ.dən ˈmɛɹ.ɪt]) (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay ( TEE-jay), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his 2017 single "Resume", and signed with Columbia Records following the success of his 2018 single "Brothers", which received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lil Tjay
- Name (Japanese)
- リル・ティージェイ
- Reading
- りる・てぃーじぇい
- Born
- April 30, 2001 (age 25)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Snake
- Origin
- The Bronx, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- rapper / singer / songwriter
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
6. Links
Rapper — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- 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.