Tione Jayden Merritt, professionally known as Lil Tjay, is a young rapper and singer-songwriter from the Bronx borough of New York.

The 20-year-old artist made rounds when he released his debut studio album True 2 Myself on October 11, 2019, after signing a deal with Columbia Records the year before.

And while his debut studio album reached number 5 on the Billboard 200, he continued to impress his fans with his second studio album, Destined 2 Win, and a single, 'Calling My Phone.'

A fantastic start for any aspiring younger, isn't it? But with the surge in his popularity, his fans have been curious to learn about his personal life, too.

So, does Lil Tjay have a girlfriend presently? Here's everything we know about his personal life, including his ideal girlfriend.

Tjay's Ideal Girlfriend

While his alleged relationship with Baptiste is still swirling around the internet, he was asked about his ideal girlfriend preference during an interview on The Breakfast Club in April 2021.

"I don't want [a girl] with a hood mentality," he stated before adding, "Yeah, I'm saying you could be where I'm from... that's a plus, and if you got the mindset, you know what I'm saying."

He explained he didn't like girls who bring negativity around his life and want to involve themselves in every situation of his life. The rapper also said he preferred to stay away from messy girls but would choose a clean girl any day.

After saying that, Tjay said he would even accept a girl who has nothing but has a sharp mind and would wish to see him do better in his career. "It's like the same way as in me seeing an artist. Like sometimes, I look and I've been like saying I want that [expletive] for me," he added.

He later shared that he even wished his friends [not only his girlfriend] had a similar mentality and goal. Therefore, if he didn't find those qualities in a girl or a friend, he would rarely hang out with them.

Tjay is Reportedly Dating Lala Baptiste

The famed rapper has reportedly been dating model and lifestyle influencer, Lala Baptiste, since late 2019. The rumors about them dating first surfaced when she was featured as his love interest in the music video of his song 'Mood Swings' on October 7, 2019.

According to OtakuKart, Baptiste even fought with her best friend, rapper Rubi Rose, because of her alleged boyfriend. The report highlighted that the model initially set the two rappers on a date together, after which they flew to Atlanta to celebrate Tjay’s birthday.

But the two found themself in a tricky situation which made the Tjay not pay for her return flight ticket. Rose took Tjay's actions as a humiliation and decided to break up.

Soon after, Tjay and Baptiste allegedly started dating, which disappointed Rose. The situation was discussed in various tweets and interviews, where Rose showed her anger and disagreement over Tjay and Baptiste's relationship.

All that being said, neither the rapper nor his alleged girlfriend has publicly confirmed the relationship so far.