Lil Tjay was hospitalized following a shooting back in June, and he’s already back with his first new material since offering fans an update on his condition.
Entitled “Beat the Odds,” the track sees the 21-year-old directly address his shooting, with cover art featuring him presumably recording his vocals from what looks to be a hospital bed. Initial reports following the shooting didn’t paint a hopeful picture, but Tjay is on the mend and has made a recovery in the months since. It’s unclear if “Beat the Odds” is the first single from a larger project, or a triumphant one-off return.
Tjay broke his silence earlier this week after sharing minimal updates on his wellbeing. He teased that new music was on the way, and he clearly wasn’t joking. “Hey what’s going on y’all, it’s your boy Tjay, man,” he told fans in a post on social media. “I’m just checking in with y’all. I just wanna say, thanks for the love, thanks for the support. I been looking at the DMS, the comments and everything else, and I feel love. Seven shots, it was tough, you know? Most people don’t survive it, but I’m here. Here for a reason, and new music coming soon. We gonna come back stronger than ever. Love y’all.”
The rapper was shot in New Jersey in June, and underwent emergency surgery after he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Shortly after the incident, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced that alleged shooter Mohamed Konate was taken into custody. Two of the artist’s friends, Antoine Boyd and Jeffrey Valdez, were also taken into custody on second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon charges.
Check out “Beat the Odds” below via Spotify and watch the video up top.