Born on April 30, 2001, Tione Jayden Merritt, popular with the stage name Lil Tjay, is an American rapper from New York City.

Tjay released his debut studio album, “True 2 Myself,” in October 2019

But, since Lil Tjay, 21, was shot in Edgewater, New Jersey on June 22, there have been fears that Lil Tjay has been left brain dead and will remain paralyzed for the rest of his life after being shot seven times.

After being shot, the rapper of New York sustained several gunshot wounds and has undergone emergency surgery.

As continued to heighten over the health condition of Lil Tjay many celebrities and fans continue to shower loads of wishes on rapper Lil Tjay, praying for his speedy recovery.

Debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200, True 2 Myself featured appearances from fellow rappers Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk.

Lil Tjay’s recognizable songs include Brothers, Leaked, Calling My Phone, and Ice Cold.

The New York rapper, in May 2020, released the Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign-assisted hit single, Zoo York.

His second studio album, Lil Tjay in April 2021, had his second full-length record, Destined 2 Win, which was made available for fans everywhere.

Speaking on the success of his projects, the music artiste said in an interview, “I just wanted to show my fans my personality, and let them know that I’m still a regular person.

“With some artists, you don’t see too much of how their life is.”

Tjay further said, “You just hear the music and see pictures. I wanted to open up to them a little bit.

“I want to stay connected with my fans. I want to be friends with my fans.”

Delving into detail about his aforementioned studio debut, he also said, “I don’t want to be true to anybody else. I want to follow my dreams.

“I want to make sure that I put myself first and accomplish what I need to accomplish.”

He added, “True 2 Myself means a lot to me because it’s a part of me.

“It’s me trying to get to my next level of success, so I just need to be true to who I am and focus on that main goal.”

Is Lil Tjay truly brain dead or alive?

The shooting incident left Lil Tjay hospitalized on June 22, 2022 after he was shot at a shopping center just after midnight.

According to the Police, the rapper sustained “multiple gunshot wounds.”

But, after the incident, reports said one Mohamed Konate has been charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, and weapons offenses in connection to the shooting.

According to another report, Tjay’s friends Jeffrey Valdez and Antoine Boyd were also arrested and charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Boyd, reports said, had sustained a single gunshot wound in the attack.

Although numerous reports said that the rapper is “brain dead” and paralyzed, they been proven untrue.

On June 23, 2022, reports said that he was unconscious after surgery and a CT scan was planned to learn more about his condition.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that the rapper showed some movement in his legs, but no further details were revealed.

Meanwhile, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on Twitter, earlier tweeted: “Update on #BCPONJ & @EdgewaterPolice inv. of 6/22 shooting: alleged shooter arrested & charged with attempted murder, armed robbery & weapons charges.

“2 others charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. 1 victim released from hospital; other in critical but stable condition.”