Tay Tian (born Claire Eileen Qi Hope; July 29, 2007), known professionally as Lil Tay, is an American-Canadian internet personality and musician. She first came to prominence in early 2018 at the age of ten (while claiming to be nine years old), when content depicting her boasting about being wealthy and calling herself "the youngest flexer of the century", as well as videos of her rapping, were published and viewed millions of times on YouTube and Instagram.
Tay's social media accounts became inactive after three months when her father applied to the superior court of Canada for full custody and control of her career as an influencer; full custody would eventually be granted to her mother. In 2023, Tay was the subject of widespread media coverage after a false statement announcing she had died was published from her Instagram account. Later that year, she released a single, "Sucker 4 Green".
Claire Eileen Qi Hope was born on July 29, 2007, to Angela Tian, a former real estate agent, and Christopher J. Hope, a lawyer. She was originally from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at an early age. Her parents, who never married, shared custody of Tay.
Tay became well known in early 2018 and was popular on platforms for a period of three months. She first rose to prominence through her presence on social media sites like Instagram by posting pictures of herself in luxury vehicles while wearing designer clothes. She began showing off her luxurious lifestyle, and "flexing" as well as posting rap videos on YouTube which garnered millions of views.
While her popularity was growing, Tay's mother Angela Tian came in contact with talent managers in Los Angeles, California. Tay, her mother and 16-year-old half-brother Jason moved from Tay's hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia to live in Los Angeles.
It was reported that Tay's older half-brother Jason was in control of her social media accounts. As Tay's actions became more public, Tay's mother, Angela Tian, faced criticism online for allowing her young daughter to create rap videos with crude language.
In a May 2018 interview with BuzzFeed News, Tay's mother stated that Jason directed the videos and managed social media accounts, with the article being released amidst a reportedly leaked video of the older half-brother coaching Tay on what to say in her video.
It was also reported that Tay's mother, a real estate agent, allowed Tay and Jason to record their videos in luxurious homes she was working with and used her boss' Mercedes-Benz 550 SL to portray themselves as being owners, all of which was allegedly done without the permission of her employer. Tay's controversial videos and reputation ultimately resulted in her mother losing her job.
Vox wrote: Jason, then 16, was the only one who had access to her Instagram account. He was the one who coached Lil Tay on what to say and how to say it, in attempts to get famous himself. According to reports, he was often harsh and cruel, and on at least one instance prompted her to say racial slurs.
Tay's father and manager sought for Tay to become more focused on professionalism, suggesting a music career for her, though her mother and half-brother encouraged her to continue her original boastful character. It was then reported that Tay's father received a court order to return Tay to Vancouver.
In June 2018, Tay's Instagram and YouTube videos had their content abruptly deleted in an attempt to "rebrand" her image.
New York reported that Tay's father sought to help Tay achieve a more professional career, looking to have her name trademarked, and to have a trust created for her earnings.
Following the court order, Tay's Instagram account was used to make unsubstantiated allegations of abuse against her father in October 2018; Tay's mother denied reports that Jason was responsible.
By 2019, it was reported that Jason managed all of her social media presence and that her mother had several business meetings about Tay without her involvement or any contracts signed.
