Tay Keith Found Dead in Nashville Apartment at 29
Tay Keith, the Grammy-nominated producer behind some of hip-hop’s biggest records of the past decade, has died at 29. Metro Nashville Police confirmed his body was found Thursday afternoon inside his apartment on Martin Street during a routine welfare check.
Officials say no foul play is suspected, and the cause of his death remains undetermined pending autopsy results. The news triggered an immediate wave of grief from longtime collaborators across the music industry, including the artists he helped turn into hitmakers.
How His Death Was Discovered
Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department located the producer, born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, while conducting a wellness check at his residence. His death is currently classified as unclassified, a designation that will remain in place until the medical examiner’s office completes its review. No timeline of his final hours has been released.
Authorities have not disclosed who requested the welfare check or what prompted it. So far, investigators have found no indication of criminal involvement. A full cause of death is expected only after autopsy and any toxicology testing are finalized, a process that can take several weeks.
His final Instagram post, shared June 9, celebrated the placement of “Get It Sexyy,” a Sexyy Red track he produced, in the latest season of HBO’s Euphoria. The post prior to that, on May 8, promoted Chris Brown’s then-new single “Call Your Name,” featuring GloRilla and Sexyy Red. Both posts reflected the steady stream of placements and collaborations that defined his final weeks.
From South Memphis Beat Tapes to National Hits
Chambers was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 20, 1996, and started experimenting with production as a teenager. He built early relationships with Memphis-area artists, including BlocBoy JB and Blac Youngsta, while still developing his sound. That local network became the springboard for his national breakout.
His production on BlocBoy JB’s “Look Alive,” featuring Drake, climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018, introducing his bass-driven style to a mainstream audience.
The record’s success arrived while Chambers was still a student at Middle Tennessee State University, where he later graduated in 2018 with a degree in Mass Communication. He used the momentum to build relationships with major labels and artists almost immediately.
That same year, he co-produced Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song. The track has since gone diamond and remains one of the most commercially successful hip-hop singles of its era. It cemented his reputation as one of the genre’s most in-demand producers.
A Catalog Spanning Hip-Hop’s Biggest Names
Chambers’ production work extended across multiple generations of hip-hop royalty. His credits include Drake’s “Nonstop” and 2023’s “First Person Shooter,” both Hot 100 No. 1 records, along with Eminem’s “Not Alike” and Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go.” He also worked with Future, Lil Baby, Gunna, Cardi B, 21 Savage, Moneybagg Yo, and UK acts Aitch and AJ Tracey.
His industry recognition extended beyond the Grammy nomination. He won Producer of the Year at the BMI Awards in 2024, his third win in that category, and was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” music list in 2025 alongside manager Cambrian Strong for their work building the label Drumatized.
Through that label, Chambers helped artists like Sexyy Red earn gold and platinum certifications for songs including “Get It Sexxy” and “Pound Town.”
That breadth of catalog, spanning trap, pop-rap, and R&B, set him apart from producers tied to a single sound or scene. Few of his Memphis-bred peers achieved comparable longevity across mainstream charts. His drop-tag, stating his name before a beat, became one of the most recognizable audio signatures in modern hip-hop production.
Tributes Pour In From the Music Community
BlocBoy JB, one of Chambers’ earliest and closest collaborators, shared a tribute on Instagram alongside a photo of the two together, writing that they spoke daily and that he had not known his friend was preparing to leave. The post reflected the depth of a creative partnership that helped launch both of their careers.
Fellow Memphis producer HitKidd also posted a tribute, expressing that he struggled to find the words to describe the loss. Additional reactions continued to surface from artists and producers who worked alongside Chambers throughout his career. The outpouring underscored the wide reach of his influence within the industry.
As of now, no further details about the circumstances of his death have been released. Investigators say updates will follow once the autopsy and any required toxicology results are complete. He was 29 years old.
