Metro Nashville Police said he is a celebrity producer Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment on Thursday (June 18). He was 29 years old.
Police arrived at Keith’s home to conduct a welfare check and found him unresponsive. There is no suspicion of foul play.
Known for his trap production, the Memphis hitmaker has seen massive success on the Billboard Hot 100, racking up 11 top ten songs and four No. 1 singles, including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.” Keith now has the most No. 1 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, with six.
Despite his quiet and unassuming appearance, Tay Keith was a determined producer always looking for his next hit. In the early 2020s, he helped establish the career of Sexyy Red with her breakthrough song “Pound Town”.
Keith’s relationship with the rapper from St. Louisa helped her rise from provincial stardom to mainstream hip-hop recognition.
Keith’s booming percussion and rumbling production provided the extra dimension of influence that rappers wanted. Whether it was Eminem’s “Not Alike” or Lil Baby and Gunne’s “Never Recover,” Keith’s ferocious sound elevated albums into events, helping to restore Memphis’ influence in mainstream hip-hop.
Along with his spectacular success in rap, Keith ventured into country music with the goal of becoming a powerful force in Nashville. He started DRUMATIZED, a label and creative hub that served both hip-hop and country musicians.
DRUMATIZED became Nashville’s second black-owned studio, providing a creative haven for both emerging and veteran artists attending private music camps.
Keith’s first #1 with “Sicko Mode” and his first Grammy nomination came in December 2018, the month he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University. He was eager to give back.
“He was so smart and insightful, not only book smart and business smart, but people smart as well,” Beverly Keel, dean of MTSU’s Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, tells Billboard.
“He knew people and how they behaved and reacted, which is probably why he was such a great songwriter. He had a great vision for the industry, music, culture and people. He had a rough past, which may have shaped his sensitivity and desire to help others.
When Keel passed away, “We talked about creating a scholarship in his name, holding a gala to fund it, and building a class that followed his career from Memphis to Nashville, Atlanta, LA and beyond.”
Keith was also instrumental in promoting a generation of Memphis artists, including BlocBoy JB and Black Youngst. In 2018, he produced JB’s biggest Hot 100 hit, “Look Alive”.
The Drake-assisted track peaked at No. 5 on the chart, introducing both artists to a wider audience.
After Keith’s death, JB expressed his surprise and grief on Instagram Stories. Among his posts were pictures of the couple when they were teenagers, as well as a screenshot of their call history with the caption: “We talked every day. Yeen tell me you’re leaving.”
Hitkidd, another Memphis producer, expressed his disbelief by posting a photo of himself and Keith on Instagram.
