'Resume', one of his first songs, was released when Merritt was 16 years old, and quickly began spreading online. In 2016, Merritt began releasing music on SoundCloud. Career 2016–2019: Beginnings, record deal, and True 2 Myself Merritt pays tribute to his childhood friend in a number of his songs referencing his name, 'Smelly'. Merritt's childhood friend, Smelly, was fatally stabbed in August 2016. At the age of 15, Merritt was arrested for one of his robberies and was sentenced for a year to a youth detention center where he would begin to write raps they included one of his hit songs 'Resume', which he released on SoundCloud. Merritt called himself the problematic child out of the three, as he would often get himself into petty robberies and school fights. He was raised by a single mother and has two younger siblings in what was described as a 'roomy' apartment. Merritt was born and raised in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. His second studio album, Destined 2 Win, was released in 2021 and included the single ' Calling My Phone', a collaboration with fellow recording artist 6lack, his highest-charting song yet.

True 2 Myself debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200, marking the album his first charted release. The following year, he released the mixtape State of Emergency that features only drill artists from New York City.

Merritt's debut studio album, True 2 Myself, was released in 2019. He rose to prominence in 2017 with his song 'Resume', and then the release of his breakthrough song 'Brothers' which led him to sign with Columbia Records later during that year. Tione Jayden Merritt (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper and singer.

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