SAMPLEDTAY KEITH, PRODUCER BEHIND SOME OF RAP'S BIGGEST HITS, FOUND DEAD AT 29
The Memphis-born producer, whose minimalist sound shaped hits for Drake, Travis Scott and Beyoncé, was found dead during a welfare check. He was 29.
Tay Keith, the Memphis-born producer whose minimalist, bass-heavy sound shaped some of the biggest rap records of the last decade, has died. He was 29.
Nashville police said the 29-year-old was found dead by officers after performing a welfare check. No foul play was suspected in his death, and an autopsy is pending. (MNPD Nashville on X (opens in a new tab))
The news rippled through the rap community with unusual force — not because Keith was an "underground" figure in scale, but because his sound came out of Memphis internet and street-rap roots before becoming thoroughly mainstream. Working with artists including Drake, Travis Scott, Beyoncé, Eminem and Megan Thee Stallion, he translated the sparse, aggressive energy of Memphis mixtape culture into chart-topping production.
Pitchfork described his work as tied to classic Memphis underground rap, noting how his productions maintained the region's signature darkness and minimalism even as they soundtracked global hits.
Keith's early career grew out of Memphis's fertile online rap scene, where his tag — "Tay Keith, fuck these n****s up" — became instantly recognizable. From there, he parlayed regional credibility into mainstream dominance, producing for some of the most visible names in music while retaining the sonic identity that made Memphis rap distinctive.
He is survived by his family and a catalog that will likely shape rap production for years to come.