On Wednesday (9), several Brazilian and international newspapers reported the death of small ty, a 14-year-old American rapper. However, everyone rushed this Thursday (10) to notice that the teen didn’t die.
According to reports, news of the rapper’s death was shared by her own Instagram, which has more than 3.5 million followers, but the account was allegedly hacked.
Another theory points to Lil Tay, or the team behind the young woman, faking her death as a publicity stunt to promote a cryptocurrency linked to his name, the Liltay Token. Although the project’s website was quickly taken down after the criticism, some content, such as the whitepaper, is still available.
“The Liltay Token (Liltay) is a utility and meme token hybrid”points out that the cryptocurrency document focused on the image of the 14-year-old rapper.
The fake death of the 14-year-old rapper may have been a publicity stunt
On Wednesday (9) is the verified Instagram profile of small ty claimed that both the 14-year-old rapper and her 21-year-old brother, Jason Tianhad died of starvation “suddenly”treat losses as “unbearable”. The post quickly became news.
However, the same day, the rapper spoke to TMZ and, of course, stated that she was not dead.
“I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I am heartbroken and struggling to find the right words.”Lil Tay told TMZ. “It was a very traumatic 24 hours. All day yesterday I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking calls from loved ones as I tried to sort this mess out.
Before the unveiling, Harry Tsang, manager of the singer’s career, was vague in his statements while speaking to other newspapers, not clarifying whether Lil Tay was dead or alive. This eventually led to suspicions that the rapper’s fake death was just a publicity stunt to promote a cryptocurrency.
For example, the project’s social networks continued to promote the cryptocurrency while news of the rapper’s death continued to circulate worldwide.
“Our CEO Harry Tsang has been active with the mainstream media, there are certain things we cannot address at this time”wrote the profile this Thursday (10), questioning “attention and respect” for people.
Good morning legends! ☀️☕️
Our CEO Harry Tsang has been active with the mainstream media, there are certain things we can’t cover at the moment.
“This situation calls for careful consideration and respect for the sensibilities involved.” -Harry
— Liltay Token (@LiltayToken) August 10, 2023
In lyrics shared by the Rolling Stones, Tsang blames the rapper’s brother, noting that Jason Tian can do anything for money.
“The actions of Liltay’s brother, known for his penchant for extreme measures, make me suspect there may be an alternative motive behind this event”Tsang said. “It is conceivable that the intent behind these events could be rooted in an attempt to illegally extract funds from devoted supporters and unwitting bystanders.”
After criticism, the project was cancelled
While little is known about the truth behind the 14-year-old rapper’s fake death news, the cryptocurrency linked to her name was bombarded with criticism and its launch cancelled.
“In the future, we will not be releasing any further information on the matter here unless it is urgent”points to a tweet published on the morning of this Friday (11). “Our CEO, Harry Tsang, continues to actively apologize for any involvement. Have a safe and great weekend.”
3/3
Going forward, we won’t be releasing any more information on the matter here unless it’s urgent. Our CEO Harry Tsang is still actively purging us of any involvement. Have a safe and great weekend.
Thank you.
— Liltay Token (@LiltayToken) August 11, 2023
In the following comment, the profile also notes that other people are taking advantage of the situation to create various fake cryptocurrencies and take advantage of the situation, something common in the market. However, it says none of them are controlled by the team behind the official Liltay token.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
