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"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. Lil Tjay’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.
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^ "Brothers" did not chart on the Hot 100, but did peak at number 14 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
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Guest appearances List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album nameįast X (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LaZy, but I have goals (Banned From Vermont) ( Rvssian featuring Lil Tjay and Lil Mosey) ( French Montana featuring Blueface and Lil Tjay) (Drama Relax featuring Tory Lanez and Lil Tjay) "-" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. American rapper Lil Tjay has released Three studio albums, three extended plays and 40 singles (including fourteen as a featured artist).
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