“Beat the Odds” by Lil Tjay

As of this writing, Lil Tjay, the 21 year old from the Bronx who is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming rappers in the industry, is in the hospital. He is recovering from seven gunshot wounds he suffered a couple of months earlier, in which some dude, who was with his homeys, attempted to rob him. 

At the time Tjay was also rolling with his own companions, at least one of whom was also strapped and ended up getting shot in the process. Additionally, the robber himself suffered gunshot wounds. But, as wild as that story may sound, luckily at the end of the day no one lost their life.

“Beat the Odds”

It is that incident which is said to serve as the inspiration behind “Beat the Odds”, the first track Tjay has dropped since the attempted robbery/murder took place. In fact, on the cover art you will see that he seems to be recording this song while still very much a patient in a hospital.

The Lyrics

But the lyrics themselves aren’t specifically about the shooting and only seem to directly reference it once. Instead, they are multi-subjected and more or less read like standard mainstream-rap braggadocio. But they do place a special emphasis on gun violence.

Of course having grown up in the Bronx, the vocalist has by all means witnessed and even engaged in enough acts of violence himself. But the fact of the matter is that successful rappers have like a special target on their backs. That implicitly seems to be in part what Lil Tjay is referring to, i.e. how certain ‘people want to kill him’, apparently without any justification.

Besides being engaged in gun violence, another threat rappers seem to face is the prospect of incarceration. This is a reality which the vocalist also acknowledges in the chorus, how the govvie is “trying to bring him down”. So it’s like what he’s saying is yes, he has ‘millies in his bank account’ and all that type of stuff, but still, life is far from gravy.

Song’s Thesis Sentiment

The above brings us to the thesis sentiment. Lil Tjay has “beat the odds”, i.e. stood strong, and may we even say prospered in the face of multiple challenges like those mentioned above, due to the fact that, as implied, he’s simply not the type to give up. For instance, he remembers his grandmother instructing him ‘don’t let her down’. To him, it is such a mentality of perseverance that gives him the confidence to endure in both the music and street game, which are kinda like one in the same to many rappers.

Indeed being a music star is the type of profession we all dream of, and we know, based on songs from artists of various genres, that you must possess a strong drive in order to reach and maintain such a standard. But being a rapper is different, as your life is perpetually at physical peril, which is something that Lil Tjay was recently reminded of the hard way. And yes, all things considered maybe his approach in this song is a bit cocky. But he is assuring the world that he has no intention of going out as a victim.

Credits for “Beat the Odds”

Lil Tjay co-wrote “Beat the Odds” in addition to acting as the track’s music video director. The other credited writers of this song are its producers, Desirez Beats, KBeaZy and KXVI.

When was “Beat the Odds” released?

This track, which is from a Lil Tjay’s album titled “Strictly4MyFans”, was released on 26 August 2022 through Columbia Records, whom the rapper has been signed to since 2018 (i.e. since the onset of his discography).