Profile
| Full name | Tione Jayden Merritt |
|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 2001, New York City, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Known for | “Brothers”; True 2 Myself; surviving the 2022 shooting |
| Labels | ADA; Trenchkid; formerly Columbia Records |
Early Life
Merritt was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, one of three children raised by a single mother in what has been described as a “roomy” apartment.
Breakthrough: Resume, Brothers and True 2 Myself
Merritt began releasing music under the name Lil Tjay in 2017, rising to prominence with the single “Resume.”
His 2018 single “Brothers” went on to receive triple-platinum certification from the RIAA, and its success led to a deal with Columbia Records.
His debut studio album, True 2 Myself, followed in 2019 and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, featuring collaborations with Lil Wayne and Lil Baby.
Building a Catalog (2019–2021)
Tjay followed his debut with a run of commercially successful singles and a second studio album, Destined 2 Win, in 2021. By early 2022, he was teasing a follow-up project and had released the singles “In My Head” and “Goin Up” that April.
The June 2022 Shooting
On 22 June 2022, Tjay was shot multiple times in the chest and neck during what police described as an attempted armed robbery near a shopping plaza in Edgewater, New Jersey.
He was with two friends, Antoine Boyd, who suffered a single gunshot wound, and Jeffrey Valdez, who was not shot. Tjay underwent emergency surgery and remained unconscious on a breathing tube for several days before regaining consciousness.
Police charged 27-year-old Mohamed Konate, who was also shot during the encounter, with three counts of first-degree attempted murder, three counts of first-degree armed robbery and multiple weapons offences; Boyd and Valdez were separately charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.
As of the most recent reporting reviewed for this article, from December 2025, Konate’s case remained pending in Bergen County, New Jersey, with no trial date, plea deal or sentencing publicly announced. Tjay addressed the shooting in the song “Beat the Odds,” released that August.
Legal Troubles in 2023
Tjay faced a series of weapons-related arrests in 2023. On 16 January, he was arrested in the Bronx after police stopped a vehicle he was travelling in en route to a music video shoot and said they found four loaded firearms inside; he and four others were charged with unlawful weapon possession.
On 23 January, he was arrested again in the Bronx on a felony charge of criminal possession of a firearm and held on $30,000 cash bail.
A third arrest followed on 5 May in Bergen County, New Jersey, for unlawful possession of a weapon without a permit; his attorney, Dawn Florio, clarified that this arrest was not a new incident but stemmed from firearms found in his car at the time of the 2022 shooting, for which he had to turn himself in as a case complainant.
222, Farewell and They Just Ain’t You
Tjay released his third studio album, 222, on 14 July 2023, featuring the single “Project Walls” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
He followed it with the album Farewell in 2024, and released They Just Ain’t You on 1 May 2026, a 13-track project Apple Music described as the rawest of his career, dealing with themes of fear, anxiety and heartbreak.
The April 2026 Offset Casino Incident
On 6 April 2026, rapper Offset was shot in the leg outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, following an altercation in the valet area.
According to a police probable cause affidavit cited by XXL, security footage showed Tjay exiting his vehicle, identifying Offset, and directing his group “to start a fight with another group of males,” during which one of his associates allegedly drew a gun and shot Offset.
Police said Tjay also recorded the incident on his phone. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct–affray, a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida law, and with a separate traffic violation; he was released on bond the following day.
His attorney, Dawn Florio, denied any involvement in the shooting itself, telling Complex, “Lil Tjay was being looked into for creating a disturbance.” The incident followed more than a year of public tension between the two rappers, after Tjay alleged in January 2025 that Offset owed him money and struggled with gambling.
As of the most recent reporting reviewed for this article, police said their investigation into the shooting itself, and whether further arrests would follow, remained ongoing.
Selected Discography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | True 2 Myself | Debut album; peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 |
| 2021 | Destined 2 Win | Second studio album |
| 2023 | 222 | Third studio album, delayed by the 2022 shooting |
| 2024 | Farewell | Fourth studio album |
| 2026 | They Just Ain’t You | 13-track album |
Career Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Releases breakout single “Resume” |
| 2018 | “Brothers” goes triple platinum; signs with Columbia Records |
| 2019 | Releases debut album True 2 Myself |
| 22 June 2022 | Shot seven times in an attempted robbery in Edgewater, New Jersey |
| 26 August 2022 | Releases “Beat the Odds,” addressing the shooting |
| January–May 2023 | Arrested three times on weapons-related charges |
| 14 July 2023 | Releases the album 222 |
| 2024 | Releases the album Farewell |
| 6 April 2026 | Charged with disorderly conduct after Offset is shot following an altercation in Florida |
| 1 May 2026 | Releases the album They Just Ain’t You |
Sources
- Wikipedia — Lil Tjay
- Wikipedia — 222 (album)
- Wikipedia — Beat the Odds (song)
- TMZ — Lil Tjay’s Alleged Shooter Arrested, Rapper Still Hospitalized
- Yahoo News / Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office — Man Charged With Attempted Murder in Shooting of Rapper Lil Tjay
- XXL — Lil Tjay Arrested for Third Gun Charge This Year
- Complex — Lil Tjay Arrested for Alleged Gun Possession While on His Way to Ice Spice Video Shoot
- XXL — Lil Tjay Instigated Fight Leading to Offset Being Shot, Cops Claim
- Rolling Stone — Lil Tjay Arrested and Charged in Connection With Offset Casino Shooting in Florida
- Complex — Lil Tjay Says No Beef With Offset Amid Casino Shooting Incident
- Apple Music — They Just Ain’t You
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