Lil Tjay

Tione Jayden Merritt, known professionally as Lil Tjay, 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).

Rising from the Bronx with a melodic sensibility that softened NYC drill's edges, Lil Tjay carved out space between trap-rap aggression and pop accessibility—a lane that proved lucrative when "Brothers" went triple platinum in 2018. His knack for crafting radio-friendly hooks while maintaining street credibility peaked with True 2 Myself and Destined 2 Win, albums that positioned him as a bridge between the SoundCloud rap generation and mainstream hip-hop's pop crossover moment. The 2020 collaboration with Nicki Minaj cemented his trajectory as a bankable feature artist, though his modest connection count reflects a career built more on solo momentum than the extensive networking that defines hip-hop's most connected figures.