Drake Remembers Tay Keith
Drake expresses "endless gratitude" honoring late producer Tay Keith's significant hip-hop legacy.
Tay Keith, one of hip-hop's most prolific producers, was found dead in his Nashville apartment on June 18, 2026. He was 29. Metro Nashville Police conducted a welfare check after a friend could not reach him, according to TMZ. Officers found no signs of foul play, and his death remains unclassified while autopsy results are pending.
Drake was among the first major stars to pay tribute. The Toronto rapper posted a portrait of Keith on Instagram with the words: "Endless and eternal gratitude for your spirit and your contributions to this thing that we all love so much… you will be deeply missed," Billboard reported. The music world is now reckoning with the loss of an artist who scored 11 top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 before his 30th birthday.
From South Memphis Bedroom Beats to Grammy Stages
Tay Keith — born Brytavious Chambers — grew up in South Memphis and started making beats at age 14 on a basic computer and piano. His partnership with rapper BlocBoy JB gave him his first major moment. Then, in 2018, two songs changed everything: "Look Alive" with Drake and Travis Scott's massive hit "Sicko Mode," according to CTV News.
"Sicko Mode" earned him his first Grammy nomination while he was still in college. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in December 2018, becoming the first in his family to earn a degree. MTSU Dean Beverly Keel said the school was "shattered and devastated," adding that Keith regularly returned to campus to mentor students, WSMV 4 Nashville reported.
Six No. 1s and a Sound That Defined a Generation
By any measure, Tay Keith's output was historic. He produced four No. 1 songs on the Hot 100, including "Sicko Mode" and Drake's "First Person Shooter." He holds the record for the most No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, with six chart-toppers, according to Spin. He earned two Grammy nominations — for "Sicko Mode" in 2019 and "Rich Flex" in 2024, CBS News noted.
Analysts say Keith built a bridge between the dark, bass-heavy roots of Memphis rap and the melodic trap sound that dominated streaming in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Fellow Memphis producer Hitkidd, who knew Keith since 2010, called him a pioneer who "opened doors for the entire Tennessee production scene," according to MusicRadar.
Industry Mourns a Visionary Gone Too Young
Tributes poured in from across the industry. Tyler, The Creator posted "Rest easy." Machine Gun Kelly wrote, "Tay Keith influenced so much and he wasn't even 30 yet," according to The Guardian. BlocBoy JB, his earliest collaborator, was more personal: "Damn Cuz You Just Hurt Me Bad… We talked everyday yeen tell me you was leaving."
The Chambers family released a statement through his label, Drumatized Music Group, calling him a "beloved son, brother, uncle" and a "cultural force whose work helped define the sound of a generation," Billboard reported. Keith founded Drumatized to create a pipeline for emerging Memphis artists. His death leaves a leadership gap in that organization at a critical time.
Autopsy Pending as Royalty Disputes Add Legal Complexity
Nashville police have not opened a criminal investigation. The medical examiner has not yet released a cause of death, and the case remains officially unclassified, The Guardian noted. No timeline has been given for the autopsy results.
Separately, Rebel Music — home to artist Sexyy Red — acknowledged an "unresolved royalty dispute" with Keith at the time of his death. The label said it is working "expeditiously" to make sure his estate is properly paid, according to HotNewHipHop. The dispute adds a layer of legal complexity to what is already a profound loss for Memphis, Nashville, and global hip-hop.
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