Today (June 22), Lil Tjay announced his next album, 222, which will be making landfall July 14. He also unveiled a new single from the forthcoming effort titled “June 22nd,” named after the day in 2022 when the Bronx talent was shot multiple times in an attempted robbery. As such, the A Lau, EMRLD BEATS, Itamar, and Drü Oliver-produced offering sees him reflecting on the incident and the moments that led up to it.
“I wake up hearin’ someone following my car, b**ch, who following my car? No one following my car, I took a look, I saw the car and then I went right back to sleep, I heard, ‘It’s that car again?’ Never, now it’s beef, I grab my Glock and I’m like, ‘Now I’m finna flip ’em on this street,’ bro’s like, ‘Nah, Tjay, you wylin,’ all I do is suck my teeth, ‘We downtown in the city, ain’t nobody doin’ s**t,’ I’m like, ‘Nah, bro, you buggin’, we was dumb, I’d be a lick,’ my new piece just came, my old piece a couple bricks, and if that’s the opps, what if they pull up and blitz the whip?”
Directed by Dell, the accompanying visual for “June 22nd” brings the song’s loose reenactment to life — much in the same way that 50 Cent did for the classic Get Rich or Die Tryin’ standout “Many Men (Wish Death).” It begins with a shot of Tjay on a stretcher before things rewind to the beginning of the day. Viewers can follow along as the “F.N” rapper meets up with Ice Spice (or an actress depicting her) in the studio, rides through the streets of New Jersey, and departs from a hotel to meet his fate. An ending message promises to continue the story in another clip. Press play on “June 22nd” below.