"Without Max he would have never been mentioned for a whole decade" — Internet calls out Lil Tjay for 'No Smoking' merch drop

Rapper Lil Tjay is currently facing backlash after launching his brand-new merchandise called, “No Smoking.” It features him taking a drag during the viral livestream of Plaqueboymax, where he was accompanied by Fivio Foreign.

Earlier this month, Plaqueboymax told Tjay and Foreign to not smoke at the Airbnb where he was hosting his live session as it was against the rental guidelines. However, the duo refused to listen and eventually left the stream, earning them backlash along the way.

Now, on January 17, 2025, Lil Tjay took to Instagram and dropped a series of images as part of his merch launch. A few of them showed him wearing a hoodie with the words “Preciate you tho” written on the back, while the front showed the print of the live stream with a not permitted symbol on it (red circle with a diagonal line through the middle from top left to bottom right).

“‘For the stoners’ lol New Merch Out Now! #preciateyoutho,” the post was captioned.

Apart from the hoodies, sweatshirts and t-shirts have also been dropped as part of the “No Smoking” merch launch. In the wake of this, the internet is calling out Lil Tjay for seemingly dissing Plaqueboymax.

For instance, X user @KonvyAlerts commented on @scubaryan’s post sharing the merchandise.

“Without Max, he would have never been mentioned for a whole decade,” the user wrote.

Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the platform.

“I wonder if Plaqueboymax released the copyright of the stream to make the shirt,” a person wondered.

“Crazy how this got more eyes than any of his music,” one person wrote.

“First time he had something popular in years,” wrote another.

Others continued to criticize and troll Lil Tjay.

“He’s tryna gain relevancy using max meanwhile no one is buying ts Fivio did way better,” a netizen wrote.

“Bro needs to focus on his music, Omg,” another netizen wrote.

“Tjay doing the most to revive his career, it’s sad tbh,” an individual wrote.

“Biting off of Max’s platform because his doesn’t exist anymore,” wrote another.

So far, Plaqueboymax hasn’t commented on Tjay’s merch drop.

---

Exploring Lil Tjay’s previous response to Plaqueboymax livestream drama

Rappers Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay appeared on Plaqueboymax’s January 7, 2025, Twitch livestream at an Airbnb in New York City. The hip-hop duo attempted to smoke inside the venue, however, host Max kept reminding them that it was against the rules.

“Yo, this a Bnb, you can’t smoke in here. This sh*t [smoke detector] gonna go off. I appreciate you, though,” Plaqueboymax was heard saying in the now-viral clip.

Despite his repeated reminders and requests, Tjay and Fivio continued to take puffs, compelling Max to tell another guest:

“I’m gonna keep it a buck, bro. N***as smoke in here, I’ma have to shut this b*tch down.”

At this point, Foreign and Tjay were seen exiting the premises abruptly and in turn, the livestream, while continuing to smoke. In the wake of this, the rap duo faced criticism. Lil Tjay took to Twitch and issued a response on the night of January 8:

“I walk in. I got some whole other sh*t on my mind. I understand I came through with 20 goons or [however many] you say. It wasn’t that many, but I’m Tjay, gang. I’m in New York. How you think I’m coming, bro?”

He added, “My fault I came through and f*cked up your crib. It ain’t the end of the world, n***a.” The Resume rapper also mentioned that he would have paid for any fines incurred and suggested he and Max could “link up another day.” Tjay mentioned that he didn’t bother to stop smoking as the Airbnb already “smelled like weed” and Plaqueboy was “talking a little crazy.”

Subsequently, Lil Tjay went on an Instagram Live where he claimed not knowing who Max was and going to the show for Fivio Foreign. He mentioned smoking everywhere he went, adding, that breaking the rules wasn’t that “serious,” as he was ready to pay for any violations.

Lil Tjay also appeared on DDG’s broadcast and shared he wanted to slap “the sh*t out of” Max, but didn’t do it on camera.

“I’m d*mn-near mindblown n***as care that much. I’m looking like, whew, I’m here for Fivio… I didn’t even know that n***a was a streamer… I swear to God, I didn’t know him until that day… Even right now, d*mn near that’s the only thing I know about him is that we had that altercation… But big ups to the streaming community,” he noted.

He also noted that the situation was a “little treacherous” from the beginning and Max was functioning in a “defense mode.” In a follow-up post, Lil Tjay explained that he meant “no disrespect” to Plaqueboy when he said he didn’t know about him, adding, that the incident wasn’t “the end of the world.”

---

On the day of the livestream, Plaqueboy also shared via a social media video that he did smoke after arriving at the Airbnb, and the fire alarm went off for three hours. This is why he knew that the stream would be “off” if others smoked during it, as reported by Rap-Up.