Lil Tjay Is A Jack Of All Trades On The Wide-Ranging ‘Destined 2 Win’

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There’s no shortage of confidence on Lil Tjay’s latest full-length album, Destined 2 Win. The 22-year-old Bronx, New York native arrived with the assurance of an upperclassman on his swaggering debut, True 2 Myself, in 2018 and the scuffs and scrapes he’s taken since have done little to dull the sparkle in his eye as he guides the listener through 21 tracks displaying his wide-ranging abilities. However, you know how the saying goes: a Jack of all trades is a master of none, and that aphorism holds true despite the poise with which Tjay bears himself on his shape-shifting sophomore album.

There’s a lot to be said for the sort of confidence Tjay projects here. Some of us go 30 years or more without ever finding the level of intoxicating self-belief that allows him to write song titles like “Born 2 Be Great” without a hint of irony. Of course, self-belief and self-awareness seldom go hand-in-hand; whether that’s a boon to this album or a drawback depends on your point of view. I’m ambivalent; on one hand, I’m impressed by how deftly he dips into each stylistic tureen from which he draws his inspiration. On the other hand, I really wish that his own artistic voice would cut through the noise more distinctly, showing us who he is both as an artist and a person.

For instance, as Tjay metamorphoses, chameleonlike, between hood motivational speaker on propulsive tracks like “Hood Rich” and “Run It Up” and heartbroken, crooning lothario on “Irregular Love” and “Calling My Phone,” it gets increasingly difficult to pin down a unique worldview or dodge the sense that we’ve heard all this before. However, there’s an undeniable polish and panache to the proceedings that lends the sense that Tjay really put a lot of thought and effort into these songs to make them sound as catchy and captivating as possible.

When Tjay wants to party, “Move” and “Oh Well” provide plenty of the body-first, brain-second energy that makes such tracks work at their highest levels, then, when he tells us “Love Hurts,” he makes us believe him, worrying such juicy lyrical bones as “I see you postin’, that just put me on alert.” He’s certainly a product of his generation, pain-watching an ex’s social media and reacting in real-time, even as he admits “I know you feedin’ off of what I started first.”

Wearing his inspirations on his sleeve can bite him at times; his outright Drake impression on “Born 2 Be Great” is a microcosm of how much his flow treads in the footsteps of his forebears — ones who still have firm grasps on the pop culture zeitgeist. It also highlights just how little actual innovation he’s doing here. The singsong delivery he uses for most of the project has more-or-less been done to death and the beats, with their church bell chimes and menacing major chords, provide suitably ominous backdrops for his middling boasts and vague threats.

Through it all, his confidence carries, though. There’s a plainspoken earnestness that comes with that lack of self-critique or self-doubt. Few lines will stand out, but he sticks the landing on every one of them. By not taking huge swings, he rarely misses, offering a satisfying listen that doesn’t overstay its welcome, even if the back half of the album tends to drone. At 21 tracks, things could really drag, but instead, he brings the overall run time in at a crisp hour and five minutes, owing most of the dead weight to bonus tracks, which consist of older releases such as the Justin Bieber-sampling “None Of Your Love,” which was likely tacked-on to improve streaming metrics.

Although Destined 2 Win doesn’t offer many surprises or tremendous strides in character development for the burgeoning star, it does its job as a showcase for his burnished songwriting well enough to justify its existence. Eventually, Tjay’s young fan base will want more from him than empty flexes and generic “made it out the struggle” rhymes, and Destined doesn’t do quite enough to convince that he’ll be able to deliver when that time comes. His swagger is enough to coast on for now, with his charm as an artist and gift for imitation giving him a smooth surface to glide on while he figures himself out. Hopefully, no one scratches that surface before he does.

Destined 2 Win is out now on Columbia Records. Get it here.

Lil Tjay And Toosii Contemplate Heartbreak In The Grisly ‘Love Hurts’ Video

In the melancholy video for Lil Tjay’s new single, “Love Hurts,” Tjay and guest rapper Toosii contemplate heartbreak and discover a grisly scene in a mansion when an enemy’s assassination attempt goes awry and catches a bystander in the crossfire.

“Love Hurts” is the latest standout from Lil Tjay’s second major-label album, Destined 2 Win, released last Friday along with the video for its fourth single, “Run It Up” featuring Moneybagg Yo and Offset. Before that, Tjay drummed up anticipation for the project with the 6lack-featuring “Calling My Phone,” the drill-inspired “Headshot” featuring Fivio Foreign and Polo G, and “Born 2 Be Great,” released just a week before the album’s due date. Over the weekend, Tjay also shared the video for “Oh Well,” ensuring even more attention for the 21-track project. The album also features the previously released “None Of Your Love” as a bonus track.

Tjay’s latest album arrives after a year that saw his profile at its highest point thanks to his inclusion on the 2020 XXL Freshman cover and the release of his timely mixtape, State Of Emergency, building on the warm reception of his 2019 debut album, True 2 Myself.

Watch Lil Tjay’s “Love Hurts” video featuring Toosii above.

Destined 2 Win is out now via Columbia. Get it here.

Lil Tjay Throws A Parking Lot Party In The Jaunty ‘Oh Well’ Video

On Friday, Lil Tjay released his new album Destined 2 Win, following up his well-received debut True 2 Myself and his 2020 mixtape State Of Emergency. Over the weekend, he shared the latest video from the new project, “Oh Well,” which finds Tjay and his friends posted up at a gas station for a jaunty parking lot party. The New York native shows off his footwork over a beefy beat while Tjay reflects on his newly luxurious circumstances.

“Oh Well” arrives on the heels of singles “Run It Up,” “Born 2 Be Great,” “Headshot,” and “Calling My Phone,” the first four singles from Destined 2 Win. The album itself features 21 tracks and includes guest appearances from 6lack, Fivio Foreign, Moneybagg Yo, Offset, Polo G, Saweetie, Toosii, and Tyga, while running the gamut from celebratory anthems to introspective ballads.

Tweeting about the album a week before its release, Tjay explained the album’s title, writing,” I named the album Destined 2 Win cause I always felt like something in me was meant to be great. Even when sh*t tried stop me it never did and I kept getting up!!” A day before its release, Tjay also shared the first episode of a documentary detailing the album’s creation.

Watch Lil Tjay’s “Oh Well” video above.

Lil Tjay Is All About The Dancers On The Bouncy ‘Move’ With Tyga And Saweetie

The last project Lil Tjay delivered came not too long ago with 2020’s State Of Emergency. It was the follow-up to his debut album, True 2 Myself. Now, to begin the second quarter of 2021, Tjay has emerged with his sophomore album, Destined 2 Win.

One of the eye-catching songs on the project is a collaboration between him, Tyga, and Saweetie for a track titled, “Move.” The bouncy effort sees the Bronx rapper lusting over hypnotizing dancers that stand before him. Tyga and Saweetie, who have both made a career out of songs that ideal for strip club personnel, join Tjay to echo similar sentiments.

Destined 2 Win arrives with features from 6lack, Polo G, Five Foreign, Toosii, Offset, and Moneybagg Yo. The project received a great promotional boost thanks to Tjay’s “Calling My Phone” single with 6lack as it debuted on No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting single for both acts.

He kept up the momentum with “Headshot” and “Born 2 Be Great,” using the latter track to announce the new album. The full-length also comes after the rapper was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, weapons, grand larceny to close out 2020.

Listen to “Move” in the video above.

Destined 2 Win is out now via Columbia Records. Get it here.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.