Taj Collins is the son of hip-hop media mogul Benzino and the younger brother of multi-platinum rapper Coi Leray. Born on January 8, 2003, in Boston, Massachusetts, he grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey. Known for his athletic talent, Taj is a skilled basketball player who has kept a relatively private life despite coming from one of hip-hop’s most recognizable families.
Taj Collins is a young American best known as the son of rapper and media executive Benzino and the brother of platinum-selling rapper Coi Leray. Born in 2003 in Boston, Massachusetts, Taj grew up mostly in New Jersey after his parents separated. Despite being surrounded by music industry royalty from birth, Taj has chosen a path centered on athletics, particularly basketball, earning the nickname “Tank” among his peers. He briefly dabbled in music as a child alongside Coi Leray, and their early creative collaborations offer a fascinating glimpse into the Collins family’s artistic roots. While his sister went on to dominate hip-hop charts, Taj has carved out his own identity with quiet confidence, earning admiration for staying grounded amid fame.
Quick Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Taj Collins |
| Date of Birth | January 8, 2003 |
| Birthplace | Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| Raised In | Hackensack, New Jersey |
| Father | Benzino (Raymond Leon Scott) |
| Mother | Asia Collins (private figure) |
| Sister | Coi Leray (rapper) |
| Brothers | Ray Ray (Chavo), Zino Antonio |
| Nickname | Tank |
| Known For | Basketball, being Benzino’s son, early music with Coi Leray |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed (Cape Verdean, Puerto Rican, African-American) |
Who Is Taj Collins?
Taj Collins is a name that’s quietly climbing search engines, and for good reason. He is the son of one of hip-hop’s most controversial yet influential figures, Benzino — the co-founder of The Source magazine — and the younger brother of multi-platinum rapper Coi Leray. Born on January 8, 2003, in Boston, Massachusetts, Taj grew up in New Jersey away from the cameras and red carpets that often surrounded his famous family members. Despite the glittering world around him, this young man built his identity on the hardwood basketball court rather than in recording studios.
Early Life and Family Background of Taj Collins
Born Into Hip-Hop Royalty in Boston
Taj Collins entered the world on January 8, 2003, in Boston, Massachusetts — the same city where his father Benzino built the foundation of one of the most powerful hip-hop empires in American media history. Boston was no ordinary backdrop; it was a city buzzing with raw hip-hop energy during the late 1990s and early 2000s, right when Benzino and his longtime partner David Mays were turning The Source magazine into a cultural landmark that would shape an entire generation. Growing up in a household connected to that kind of legacy was both a gift and a quiet pressure for young Taj Collins from the very beginning of his life.
Hackensack, New Jersey — Where He Was Actually Raised
Though born in Boston, Taj Collins spent his formative years growing up in Hackensack, New Jersey, after his parents, Benzino and Asia Collins, separated in the mid-2000s. His mother, a private woman who worked as a bartender to support the family after the separation, raised Taj and his siblings largely on her own. Life was not always easy — the family went through genuine financial hardship after Benzino’s exit from The Source left them without the financial stability they had previously enjoyed. Both Taj and his sister Coi Leray have spoken about their mother with deep respect, calling her a strong, grounding force who held everything together during the most difficult years of their childhood.
The Siblings Who Shaped His World
Family is central to understanding who Taj Collins is as a person. He grew up in a large household alongside several brothers and his famous older sister, Coi Leray, whose real name is Brittany Collins. The siblings closest to him include Ray Ray — also known by his rap name Chavo — who is the oldest of the Collins children and has pursued a career in melodic trap music through SossHouse Records. There is also Zino Antonio, the youngest of Benzino’s children, born in 2015 to Benzino and Althea Heart. Growing up surrounded by siblings who were all navigating a complicated but creatively rich family environment made Taj Collins uniquely grounded, resilient, and deeply loyal to those he loves.
His Father Benzino — The Hip-Hop Giant Who Shaped the Collins Name
How Benzino Built an Empire From Boston Streets
To understand Taj Collins, you must first understand his father. Benzino, born Raymond Leon Scott on July 18, 1965, in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the most complex figures in American hip-hop history. He first made his name in the late 1980s and 1990s as a founding member of rap groups the Almighty RSO and Made Men, earning a reputation in Boston’s gritty music scene for his raw delivery and unapologetic style. His greatest contribution to culture, however, was not as a rapper but as a media mogul — co-founding The Source magazine alongside David Mays, which became the so-called “Bible of Hip-Hop,” influencing every corner of the music industry for decades.
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The Controversies That Defined a Generation
Benzino’s public life was never far from drama, and growing up as his son meant living in the shadow of enormous controversies. His highly publicized feud with rapper Eminem beginning in 2002 became one of the most talked-about conflicts in hip-hop history, playing out through diss tracks, magazine coverage, and public statements that spread across the industry. Later, Benzino became a reality TV personality through his appearances on the VH1 series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta from 2012 to 2014, where audiences got a glimpse into the more personal, domestic dimensions of his character. All of this shaped the world that Taj Collins was born into — one full of creative energy, public scrutiny, and the complex expectations that come with a famous last name.
Benzino as a Father — A Complicated But Present Figure
Despite the public controversies and strained relationships that have marked his personal life — most visibly his complicated bond with Coi Leray — Benzino has spoken warmly about all of his children, including Taj Collins. He has described his youngest son Zino as his “best friend,” and the broader Collins family dynamic, while publicly messy at times, reflects a father who remains emotionally invested in his children’s lives. For Taj specifically, Benzino’s influence likely played a role in exposing him early to music, creativity, and the entertainment world — even if Taj ultimately chose to follow a very different path than the one his father charted through hip-hop.
Taj Collins and Coi Leray — A Brother-Sister Bond Built on Creativity
Their Early Music Collaboration as Children
Long before Coi Leray became one of the biggest names in contemporary hip-hop, she and Taj Collins were just two kids in New Jersey experimenting with music together. In 2011, when Coi was still a teenager and Taj was barely eight years old, the siblings released their first songs together — “Bow Down” and “Rock Back” — shared on YouTube through their father’s platform. It was a remarkable early creative act, showing that artistic talent ran deep in the Collins bloodline. Taj’s participation in those early recordings revealed a child with genuine musical instinct and a willingness to step into the spotlight alongside his older sister, even at such a young age.
Why Taj Stepped Back From Music
Despite the promising early sparks of musical creativity, Taj Collins did not pursue music the way Coi Leray did. While his sister eventually dropped out of high school at 16 to chase her dream full-time, releasing her breakthrough single “G.A.N.” in 2018 and signing with Republic Records, Taj took a quieter, more athletic path. He channeled his energy into sports, specifically basketball, becoming a talented player at Bogota High School in New Jersey where he was added to the basketball roster. His peers gave him the affectionate nickname “Tank,” which speaks to the kind of physical presence and determination he brought to the court rather than the recording booth.
Coi Leray’s Affection for Her Little Brother
Even as Coi Leray became a global music star — with hit songs like “Players,” “No More Parties,” and her collaboration “Blick Blick” with Nicki Minaj, and even as she received Grammy nominations and topped the Billboard Hot 100 — she never forgot her roots or her little brother. Coi has shared photographs of Taj Collins on her social media accounts, openly expressing pride and affection for him. In the middle of a music career that demanded her constant attention, she consistently made space to celebrate her sibling’s athletic achievements and personal growth. Their bond reflects something genuine and enduring — a connection forged in a childhood that was sometimes difficult but always rich with shared experience and mutual love.
Taj Collins the Basketball Player — Sports Over Stardom
A Talented Athlete Who Chose His Own Path
Taj Collins has demonstrated from an early age that he would not simply ride the coattails of his famous family. His chosen arena is the basketball court, and by all accounts, he has committed to that path with seriousness and focus. At Bogota High School in New Jersey, Taj was added to both the basketball roster in multiple seasons and even the football roster in 2016, showing a broad athletic versatility that went beyond a single sport. His nickname “Tank” suggests a player known for physicality and determination — qualities that translate well from athletics into life, reflecting a young man who does not take shortcuts or rely on his surname for validation.
Sports as Identity in a Celebrity Family
Choosing sports as his primary identity in a family where rap, media, and entertainment dominate is itself a quiet but powerful statement. While his brothers Ray Ray and Chavo pursued music, and his sister Coi Leray became one of the most-streamed female rappers of her generation, Taj carved out a lane that was entirely his own. This distinction is important — it shows a young man with self-awareness and independence of spirit. The Collins family is extraordinary in the number of paths its members have chosen: music, media, athletics, and private life. Taj’s choice to focus on basketball speaks to a personal sense of purpose that goes beyond what his last name could offer him automatically.
What the Future Holds for Taj Collins
As of 2026, Taj Collins remains a largely private individual who has not actively sought public attention outside of being featured in his sister’s social media posts or mentioned in coverage of his father’s family life. He was reportedly pursuing basketball at the collegiate level, building on the foundation he established at Bogota High School. Given his family’s extraordinary background — a father who co-built the most iconic hip-hop magazine in history and a sister who became a multi-platinum recording artist — Taj Collins has all the tools, connections, and creative DNA to do something remarkable should he choose to enter any public arena. For now, he seems content to grow on his own terms, which in many ways is the most admirable choice of all.
The Collins Family Legacy — More Than Just Famous Names
A Family Shaped by Music, Struggle, and Survival
The Collins family story is one of the most compelling in American pop culture. It begins with Benzino’s extraordinary rise from the streets of Boston to building a magazine that defined hip-hop for a generation, and it winds through separation, financial difficulty, resilience, and the spectacular artistic success of Coi Leray. Taj Collins grew up right in the middle of that narrative — not as a passive bystander but as an active participant in a family that was always creating, always pushing, and always dealing with the consequences of life in the public eye. The story of the Collins family is ultimately a story about survival, creativity, and what happens when talent meets hardship.
The Role of Their Mother — The Unsung Hero
While Benzino’s name draws headlines, the real backbone of Taj Collins’ childhood was his mother, Asia Collins, who raised her children in New Jersey largely on her own after separating from Benzino. She worked as a bartender, adjusted to reduced circumstances after Benzino left The Source, and made sure her children had stability in an otherwise unpredictable world. Both Coi Leray and Taj Collins have spoken about their mother with genuine admiration. In an industry that often celebrates the loudest voices, the quiet strength of Asia Collins — a woman who stepped back from the spotlight to put her children first — deserves recognition as the foundational figure in Taj Collins’ life and values.
What Makes Taj Collins Stand Out From the Crowd
In a family of larger-than-life personalities, Taj Collins has chosen to stand out by not standing out — at least not in the conventional celebrity sense. He has not released music under a record label, has not appeared on reality television, and has not cultivated a massive social media following. What he has done is maintain his privacy, pursue athletic excellence, and support his family from a place of quiet loyalty. In an era where everyone from minor celebrities to celebrity siblings are eager to cash in on family fame, Taj’s restraint is genuinely unusual. It suggests a young man who understands his own values and is in no hurry to trade them for a moment of viral attention.
Conclusion
Taj Collins is far more than a footnote in the biographies of his more famous family members. He is a young man whose life story intersects with some of the most significant chapters in American hip-hop history — from The Source magazine era to the rise of his sister Coi Leray as a Billboard chart-topping artist. Born into a family shaped equally by creativity and conflict, privilege and hardship, Taj has navigated that complex inheritance with remarkable groundedness. Whether he chooses to remain in the athletic world, step into entertainment, or build something entirely new, the foundation he has built through discipline, family loyalty, and quiet self-determination makes him one of the most intriguing young figures connected to hip-hop royalty. The world is watching — and Taj Collins is clearly in no rush to perform for it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who is Taj Collins?
Taj Collins is the son of hip-hop mogul Benzino and the younger brother of rapper Coi Leray. Born on January 8, 2003, in Boston, he grew up in New Jersey and is best known for his basketball career and family connections.
Q2. What is Taj Collins’ nickname?
Taj Collins is commonly known by the nickname “Tank” among his peers and teammates, likely a nod to his physical presence and determination on the basketball court.
Q3. Did Taj Collins ever make music?
Yes. As a child in 2011, Taj Collins collaborated with his sister Coi Leray on two songs, “Bow Down” and “Rock Back,” which were shared on YouTube. He later stepped away from music to focus on sports.
Q4. Who are Taj Collins’ parents?
His father is Benzino (Raymond Leon Scott), co-founder of The Source magazine and hip-hop media executive. His mother is Asia Collins, a private individual who raised Taj and his siblings in New Jersey.
Q5. How is Taj Collins related to Coi Leray?
Taj Collins is Coi Leray’s younger full brother. They share the same mother and father, Benzino. Coi has frequently shown affection for Taj on social media throughout her music career.
Q6. What sport does Taj Collins play?
Taj Collins is primarily a basketball player. He played for Bogota High School in New Jersey and was reportedly pursuing the sport at a collegiate level. He also played football in high school.
Q7. Is Taj Collins active on social media?
Taj Collins maintains a low public profile and does not have a large social media presence. He can be followed on Twitter under the handle @iamliltank3, but largely stays out of the public eye compared to his famous family members.
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