On Thursday (June 18), renowned producer Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment, according to Metro Nashville Police. He was 29.
Police went to Keith’s house to perform a welfare check and found him unresponsive. No foul play is suspected.
Known for his trap-laden production, the Memphis hitmaker enjoyed tremendous success on the Billboard Hot 100, earning 11 top 10 hits and four No. 1 records, including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.” Keith currently holds the record for the most No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, with six.
Despite his quiet and humble demeanor, Keith — born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers — was a relentless producer, constantly searching for his next hit. In the early 2020s, he helped launch Sexyy Red’s career with her breakout single “Pound Town.” The chemistry between Keith and the St. Louis rapper helped propel her from regional buzz to mainstream hip-hop prominence.
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Keith’s thunderous drums and rumbling production added an extra layer of punch that rappers coveted. Whether it was Eminem’s “Not Alike” or Lil Baby and Gunna’s “Never Recover,” Keith’s hard-hitting sound elevated records into events, helping bring Memphis’ influence back to the forefront of mainstream hip-hop.
Along with his prolific success in rap, Keith expanded into country music with ambitions of becoming a formidable force in Nashville. He founded DRUMATIZED, a label and creative hub that catered to both hip-hop and country artists. DRUMATIZED became the second Black-owned studio in Nashville and served as a creative haven for both emerging and established acts participating in private music camps.
Among those who attended were Walker Hayes, Lalo Guzman, Reyna Roberts, and David J.
The month that Keith graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in December 2018, he achieved his first No. 1 with “Sicko Mode” and received his first Grammy nomination. He was eager to give back.
“He was so smart and insightful, not only book smart and business smart, but people smart,” Beverly Keel, dean of MTSU’s Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment tells Billboard. “He understood people and how they would act and react, which is probably why he was such a great songwriter. He had tremendous vision about the industry, music, culture and people. He had a difficult upbringing, and perhaps that shaped his empathy and desire to help others.”
At the time of his death, Keel says, “We had discussed creating a scholarship in his name, holding galas to fund it, and building a class that followed his career from Memphis to Nashville, Atlanta, L.A. and beyond.”
Keith also played a vital role in uplifting a generation of Memphis artists, including BlocBoy JB and Black Youngsta. In 2018, he produced JB’s biggest Hot 100 hit, “Look Alive.” The Drake-assisted single peaked at No. 5 on the chart and helped introduce both artists to a wider audience.
Following news of Keith’s passing, JB shared his shock and grief across Instagram Stories. Among his posts were photos of the pair as teenagers, alongside a screenshot of their call history captioned: “We talked every day. Yeen tell me you was leaving.”
Fellow Memphis producer Hitkidd also expressed his disbelief, posting a photo of himself and Keith on Instagram. “I ain’t even got the words, we been doing this since 2010.”
Billboard has reached out to Keith’s representatives for comment.
