In 2018, Lil Tjay signed to Columbia Records. Lil Tjay's debut studio album, True 2 Myself, was released on October 11, 2019. The following year, he released a mixtape State of Emergency that features only drill artists from New York City. True 2 Myself debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200, marking the album his first charted release. His second studio album, Destined 2 Win, was released on April 2, 2021, and includes the single "Calling My Phone", a collaboration with American singer 6lack, his highest-charting song yet.