Polo G Speaks On Lil Tjay Shooting While Bronx Rapper Remains Unconscious

Music

| LAST UPDATE 06/27/2022

By Mahlik Campbell
Lil Tjay
Jason Mendez via Getty Images

Ever since dropping their 7x Platinum collab "Pop Out" in 2019, Polo G and Lil Tjay have shared a tight bond. Polo is finally addressing the recent shooting of Tjay that's left him unconscious for nearly a week.

Coming from the Bronx, Lil Tjay has emerged as a leading voice in the wave of melody-based rappers with vulnerable tracks like "Calling My Phone" featuring 6LACK, which hit #3 on the Hot 100.

He started making music just five years ago and quickly became convinced he was the GOAT. "No one can stop me, I feel like the greatest / Bro said be humble, I patiently waited," he sings on "Goat."

But like any iconic journey, Tjay's includes a few bumps in the road. He had to serve a one-year sentence in juvenile detention for robbery, though he's claimed the experience helped shape his character and motivated him to stay focused and work hard once he was released.

"It was not fun," he told Rolling Stone. “It's not nothing that I would want to do again, but I learned a lot from it. I feel like if I wasn't to go to jail, I probably wouldn’t be the person I am — I wouldn't.

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"Cause I wouldn’t have sat down and wrote those songs and I never would’ve been able to focus on what I want to accomplish. So it's like it was actually a good thing for me. It made me open my eyes and stuff like that."

Sadly, Tjay is now facing an even steeper battle. He was shot at a Chipotle in New Jersey on June 22nd that required emergency surgery, and while he made it out alive, the 21-year-old is reportedly still unconscious.

The suspect was charged with several counts of first-degree attempted murder and first-degree armed robbery.

Polo G came through with a simple but powerful message for Tjay: "Hard body." Since Polo and Tjay exploded on the scene together and signed to Columbia Records, they've delivered 5 total collabs and teased the idea of a joint tape. Polo once described their chemistry as "organic."

Another trendsetting artist who had a special connection with Tjay is the late Pop Smoke. Before Pop's passing in 2020, they joined for hits like "War," "Mood Swings" and more.

Many fans are sharing the clip up top where Pop shouts out Tjay in an interview. Let's hope Tjay can make a full recovery.