Lil tjay age is one of the most searched details about the Bronx rapper and singer, and the answer is straightforward: as of November 2026, he is 25 years old. Born Tione Jayden Merritt on April 30, 2001, in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, he is known for melodic, Auto-Tune-friendly hip-hop and R&B records such as “Brothers,” “F.N,” “Pop Out” with Polo G, and “Calling My Phone” with 6lack. His birthday falls every April 30, so he turns 26 on April 30, 2027.
When fans search lil tjay age, they are usually reacting to how early his success arrived. He released “Resume” at 16, signed with Columbia Records as a teenager, and debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 at 18. Looking at lil tjay age alongside his milestones also puts his 2022 shooting and comeback in perspective, because he was only 21 when he survived being shot seven times. This guide covers his family, education, career, relationships, net worth, business interests, and charity work. It sticks to what is publicly documented and clearly flags where details have never been made public.
Early Life and Family
Birth and birthplace. The starting point for lil tjay age is his birth date, April 30, 2001. He was born and raised in Fordham in the Bronx, although some biographies describe his home turf more broadly as the South Bronx. He is a Taurus, and his Bronx roots run through nearly everything he has recorded, from the street storytelling to the neighborhood shout-outs that fans have come to expect.
Parents and household. Reliable sources say he was raised by a single mother alongside two younger siblings in a spacious apartment. His mother’s name and profession, and any details about his father, have not been publicly confirmed, so this article does not guess at them. Several profiles report Ghanaian roots for the family, and Wikipedia also notes Jamaican descent. For anyone researching lil tjay age and family background, the documented picture is a Bronx household led by one parent, with the artist as the eldest child.
Siblings. Tjay is the oldest of three children. He has described himself as the troublemaker of the family, the one who kept landing in petty trouble while his younger siblings stayed out of it. Their names are not reliably documented by major outlets, so they are left out here. The relevant point for lil tjay age is that he was a big brother very young, and later success meant his whole family’s circumstances could change.
Upbringing and cultural influences. Growing up in the Bronx put him inside one of hip-hop’s birthplaces. He has named Drake, Meek Mill, and Usher as his biggest musical influences, which explains why his catalog leans so heavily on melody and R&B-style hooks. Pitchfork profiled him early on and noted his ambition to become the next Usher, and he picked up the nickname “Bronx Justin Bieber” after sampling Bieber’s “Baby” on “None of Your Love.” Even as lil tjay age moved from child to teenager, that blend of street realism and pop sensibility stayed consistent.
Challenges growing up. By his own account, he got into petty robberies and school fights as a kid. At 15 he was arrested for a robbery and sentenced to a year in a youth detention center, where he began writing raps, including material that became “Resume.” That chapter matters for lil tjay age because it shows how quickly his life turned: he went from a juvenile facility at 15 to a viral SoundCloud release at 16. He has said that year behind bars is where his songwriting really took off.
Loss of a childhood friend. On August 14, 2016, his friend Esmerlyn Toribio was fatally stabbed following a dispute over a motorcycle sale. Anyone tracking lil tjay age through his early years should know he was only 15 when it happened, and the loss still echoes in his music. He has referenced his friend, nicknamed Smelly, in multiple songs, including a tribute released in 2021.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tione Jayden Merritt |
| Date of birth | April 30, 2001 |
| Current age | 25 (as of November 2026) |
| Birthplace | Fordham, the Bronx, New York City |
| Mother | Single mother; name and profession not publicly confirmed |
| Father | Not publicly documented |
| Siblings | Two younger siblings; names not reliably documented |
| Heritage | Ghanaian roots reported; Jamaican descent also cited |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Childhood friend honored in songs | Esmerlyn Toribio (“Smelly”) |
Education
Formal schooling. Major outlets do not document which high school he attended, whether he graduated, or whether he pursued college. One biography site says his mother enrolled him in the Bronx Dance Academy, a talent-focused school, but that claim is not corroborated by major publications, so it should be treated with caution. Because the record is thin, lil tjay age at graduation cannot be stated reliably. If he followed a typical path he would have finished around 18, in 2019, the same year his debut album arrived, but that is an inference rather than a documented fact.
Degrees and academic achievements. There is no public record of a college degree or academic honors. His achievements are musical: gold and platinum plaques, chart entries, and a place in XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class. For a rapper who was already signing label paperwork as a teenager, the classroom clearly took a back seat to the studio.
School troubles. Wikipedia’s account notes that he got into school fights as a kid. That lines up with his own description of himself as the difficult child of the family, and it suggests his education was disrupted well before he turned to music full time. Looking at lil tjay age at that point, a teenager of 15 or so, helps explain why the traditional route was never going to be the one he followed.
Learning the craft. His real education happened through writing. Spending a year in a youth detention center gave him long stretches of time to put lyrics on paper, and he credits that period with sharpening his songwriting. Within the first ten months of his career, five of his tracks passed one million plays on SoundCloud, which suggests he learned fast.
Competitions as extracurriculars. On March 10, 2018, he entered the NYC All Ages Edition of Coast 2 Coast LIVE and took first place. Lil tjay age at that showcase was 16, and a record label A&R in attendance noticed his performance, which opened the door to the deal that followed.
Touring and festivals. If school clubs are the usual extracurriculars, his were live shows. He toured with Seattle rapper Lil Mosey in 2019 and played Rolling Loud in Miami in May 2019 alongside Migos, Travis Scott, and Kid Cudi, all before his 19th birthday.
Career
Tjay’s career is a case study in how fast things can move. Everything below happened between his teens and his mid-twenties.
Beginnings (2017). He began releasing music on SoundCloud in 2017, and “Resume” was among his first songs, put out when he was 16 years old. It spread quickly online. Lil tjay age at the time of that first viral moment was the headline for many early profiles, because the maturity of the writing did not match his youth.
The Columbia Records breakthrough (2018). After his Coast 2 Coast LIVE win in March 2018, he released “Brothers,” which became his biggest song up to that point and led to a deal with Columbia Records. “Brothers” was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA. In July 2018 he teamed with producer CashMoneyAP on “None of Your Love,” and he ended the year with his debut EP, No Comparison.
Chart success and the debut album (2019). In January 2019 he guested on Polo G’s “Pop Out,” which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became his first Hot 100 entry. His own single “F.N” followed and reached number 56, making him a Hot 100 artist as a lead act. His debut studio album, True 2 Myself, arrived on October 11, 2019, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. With lil tjay age just 18 at that point, it was a remarkable first full-length statement. He also appeared on PrettyMuch’s “Lying” and the 24kGoldn “Valentino” remix that year.
Collaborations and recognition (2020 to 2021). In 2020 he leaned into New York drill with the EP State of Emergency, which included “Zoo York” with Fivio Foreign and Pop Smoke. He also appeared on Pop Smoke’s posthumous “Mood Swings,” which reached number 17 on the Hot 100, and XXL named him to its 2020 Freshman Class on August 11. In February 2021 he released “Calling My Phone” with 6lack, which debuted at number three on the Hot 100, the highest-charting single of his career. His second studio album, Destined 2 Win, followed on April 2, 2021, with 21 tracks and the single “Headshot” alongside Polo G and Fivio Foreign.
The shooting and the comeback (2022). On June 22, 2022, he was shot seven times during an attempted robbery in Edgewater, New Jersey, and underwent emergency surgery. After rumors spread about his condition, reports confirmed he was alert and talking by July 1. He released “Beat the Odds” on August 26, which describes the ordeal and his recovery, and returned to the stage at Rolling Loud New York on September 23. Fans who follow lil tjay age as a way of measuring his resilience point to this period, since he was back performing at 21, only three months after nearly dying.
Recent developments (2023 to 2026). He collaborated with Ice Spice on “Gangsta Boo” in 2023, which entered the charts, and released his third studio album, 222, on July 14, 2023, with guests including Summer Walker, The Kid LAROI, Fivio Foreign, Jadakiss, Polo G, and Coco Jones. The album sold about 22,000 units in its first week. He made his last release for Columbia with the EP Farewell in late 2024, and he is now listed with ADA and his own Trenchkid imprint.
TV, film and media. No verified acting or television roles turned up in major sources. His media presence has come through music videos, YouTube premieres, festival sets such as Wireless Festival 2023, and short documentary clips he posted before 222 was released.
| Year | Milestone | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Starts releasing music | Posts early songs on SoundCloud, including “Resume,” at age 16 |
| 2018 | Wins Coast 2 Coast LIVE (NYC) | Takes first place on March 10; a label A&R takes notice |
| 2018 | “Brothers” and Columbia deal | Breakout single leads to a Columbia Records contract; later certified triple platinum |
| 2018 | Debut EP | No Comparison released at the end of the year |
| 2019 | “Pop Out” with Polo G | Reaches number 11 on the Hot 100, his first Hot 100 entry |
| 2019 | True 2 Myself | Debut album released October 11 and peaks at number five on the Billboard 200 |
| 2020 | State of Emergency | Drill-leaning EP released May 8, featuring “Zoo York” |
| 2020 | XXL Freshman Class | Named to the 2020 list on August 11 |
| 2021 | “Calling My Phone” | Debuts at number three on the Hot 100 in February |
| 2021 | Destined 2 Win | 21-track second album released April 2 |
| 2022 | Shot in Edgewater, NJ | Survives seven gunshot wounds on June 22 and releases “Beat the Odds” in August |
| 2023 | 222 | Third studio album released July 14; “Gangsta Boo” with Ice Spice charts |
| 2024 | Farewell EP | Final Columbia release |
| 2026 | Florida arrest | Arrested and released in April after an incident involving Offset; see below |
Relationships and Controversies
Marriage and family life. There is no public record that Tjay is married, and no confirmed information about children. He keeps his private life guarded, which is part of why questions about lil tjay age and relationships tend to produce rumor-heavy search results instead of facts.
Dating rumors. Entertainment profile sites have linked him to influencer Lala Baptiste, and in February 2023 dating rumors with fellow Bronx rapper Ice Spice took off after XXL reported a jeweler’s claim that he bought her a Richard Mille watch worth about $150,000. The two are known collaborators and friends who also hosted a community turkey giveaway together, but neither has confirmed a romance, so those stories should be treated as unverified.
The 2022 shooting. Wikipedia’s account says Mohamed Konate, 27, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and armed robbery in connection with the Edgewater shooting. Tjay was not charged with any crime. In 2025, rapper 6ix9ine repeatedly mocked the incident on podcasts, which brought it back into the news cycle, but the episode is mainly remembered for how seriously Tjay was hurt and how quickly he returned.
The January 2023 arrest. On January 16, 2023, he was arrested in the Bronx after a traffic stop in which police reported finding a handgun in the vehicle. He was charged with weapon possession. His attorney, Dawn Florio, said the gun did not belong to him and argued the search was conducted illegally.
The April 2026 Florida incident. On April 6, 2026, he was arrested in Broward County after an altercation outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in which rapper Offset was shot. Offset’s injuries were not life-threatening. Tjay was released on April 7. Reporting indicates he was charged with disorderly conduct rather than with firing the weapon; police said another man associated with his group discharged a firearm. His lawyer disputed any link, and Tjay publicly denied involvement in the shooting itself. These are developing matters, so lil tjay age and legal-status searches in 2026 should be checked against the latest coverage.
Public perception. Fans largely see him as a survivor with an unusual story: a teenager who turned a juvenile sentence into a recording career, nearly lost his life at 21, and returned to chart. Critics point to the recurring legal troubles and the risks surrounding his circle. Both views exist side by side in the coverage.
Net Worth
Tjay does not publish his finances, and no major financial outlet has audited his earnings, so every figure online is an estimate. Published numbers vary widely, from roughly $500,000 on the low end to several million dollars on the high end, with 2021 profiles often citing $600,000 and some 2026 aggregator pages claiming $3 million to $5 million. Those pages are not authoritative sources, and the spread tells you more about guesswork than about his bank balance. Readers interested in lil tjay age and net worth together should note that he was a teenager when the money started coming in, and he has said little about how he spends or invests it.
Most of his income would logically come from streaming royalties, album and single sales, touring and festival fees, and guest features. His label arrangement has also changed: Columbia was his label through 2024, and he is now listed with ADA and Trenchkid, which may affect how much of his revenue he keeps. His 2022 shooting and recovery interrupted his touring for months, which would have slowed his earnings that year.
| Category | Amount/Details |
|---|---|
| Estimated net worth | Unverified; commonly cited from about $500,000 to several million dollars |
| Figures often repeated | Around $600,000 (2021 profiles); $1.5 million to $5 million (various aggregators) |
| Main income sources | Streaming royalties, album and single sales, touring and festivals, features |
| Label history | Columbia Records (through 2024); now listed with ADA and Trenchkid |
| Verified assets | None confirmed in major outlets |
| Growth over the years | Rapid from 2018 to 2021; interrupted in 2022; steady release schedule since |
Other Ventures
Digital presence. Tjay’s career started on SoundCloud, and he continues to use YouTube as a launch pad: “Brothers” and “None of Your Love” found audiences there, and he premiered a freestyle, “Lavish,” and the video for “Give You What You Want” on the platform. He also maintains an active presence on Instagram and TikTok, where he teased “Not in the Mood” in snippets before its release.
Label and imprint. Public listings associate him with Trenchkid, an imprint tied to his current releases alongside distribution through ADA. Details about the structure are limited, so it is best described simply as his own label outlet.
Live performance and festivals. He has performed at Rolling Loud in Miami in 2019 and in New York in 2022, and at Wireless Festival in 2023. Festivals are a major revenue and exposure channel for artists at his level.
Collaborations. Beyond rap, he has worked with pop and R&B acts including PrettyMuch, Summer Walker, and Coco Jones, and with hip-hop figures such as Polo G, Fivio Foreign, Pop Smoke, Jadakiss, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. These crossover moves reinforce why lil tjay age tends to come up in conversations about the next generation of New York stars.
Speaking engagements and brand deals. No verified speaking engagements, clothing lines, or major endorsement partnerships appear in reputable coverage. Some aggregator pages claim endorsement income, but without named brands or announcements those claims should not be repeated as fact.
Charitable Work
Bronx Defenders donation (2020). When he released State of Emergency in May 2020, his team announced he would donate to The Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit, to support incarcerated New Yorkers during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanksgiving giveaway with Ice Spice (2022). On November 16, 2022, he and Ice Spice hosted a turkey and meal giveaway in the Bronx, held at Fordham University, that reportedly helped around 150 local families. It came only months after his shooting recovery, which gave the event extra weight.
Community ties. Both efforts are rooted in the Bronx, the neighborhood that produced him. Giving back close to home fits the themes of his music, which often looks back on the same blocks and struggles his audience knows.
Collaborations. His community work has often been done alongside other Bronx artists rather than through a standalone foundation of his own. No registered Tjay-branded charity appears in reputable coverage.
Impact. The documented impact is local and tangible: meals for families and support for legal-aid work. Some aggregator pages mention large donations to other causes, but those claims lack reliable sourcing and are not included here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lil Tjay in 2026? Lil Tjay is 25 years old as of November 2026. He was born on April 30, 2001, and will turn 26 on April 30, 2027.
Who is Lil Tjay married to / in a relationship with? He is not publicly known to be married, and no current relationship has been confirmed. He has been linked in reports and rumors to Lala Baptiste and Ice Spice, but neither pairing has been verified.
What is Lil Tjay’s net worth? There is no verified figure. Estimates range from around $500,000 to several million dollars, and sources disagree widely.
What does Lil Tjay do for a living? He is a rapper and singer from the Bronx who earns income from recorded music, streaming, touring, festival appearances, and collaborations. His albums include True 2 Myself (2019), Destined 2 Win (2021), and 222 (2023).
Does Lil Tjay have any children? No children have been publicly confirmed. He keeps his personal life largely private.