Tay Keith found dead at 29 after welfare check on Grammy-nominated producer – USA Today

Renowned hip-hop producer Tay Keith has died in Nashville at the age of 29.
“No foul play is suspected in the death of Brytavious Chambers also known as Grammy-nominated record producer Tay Keith,” Metro Nashville Police said in a social media statement. “He was found dead in his Martin St (apartment) this afternoon by officers performing a welfare check. His death is unclassified pending autopsy results.”
A cause of death was not immediately released.
USA TODAY has reached out to Keith’s representative for more information.
The Grammy-nominated producer, born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers in Memphis, was known for his collaborations with Drake, Travis Scott, Beyoncé, 21 Savage, Swae Lee, Eminem and other musicians.
Keith began making beats at age 14, and his career took off in 2015 when he started working with rapper Blac Youngsta. In the summer of 2017, Keith’s song “Shoot” with BlocBoy JB took the internet by storm. The next year, Keith achieved global recognition alongside JB with the track “Look Alive” (featuring Drake).
In 2018, Keith told The Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY network, that music was his escape.
“It was rough,” Keith said, referring to his childhood in Memphis.
“You gotta grind, you gotta make your way. Everybody’s got their grind mentality in Memphis. Music was my way out. School was the plan B, just in case music didn’t work out. I didn’t know it was gonna work out. I just felt like, ‘If I’m doing these two things, something’s going to get me up there. Something’s going to make me successful.'”
Despite his musical success, one of Keith’s proudest accomplishments was still his degree from MTSU.
“You get a sense of a respect, and I just want to live up to the respect. I want to prove that you can go to school and still chase your dream, too,” he said.
“There’s a lot of entrepreneurs out here who are in school, who just don’t know what’s next, or can’t figure out what direction they should go in. And me graduating motivates them.”
Keith’s musical resume spans a parade of hip-hop luminaries.
He’s best known for co-producing Travis Scott’s 2018 No. 1 hit, “Sicko Mode.” But Keith also instilled his influence on songs from Drake (“Nonstop”), Beyoncé (“Before I Let Go”), Eminem (“Not Alike”) and BlocBoy JB (“Look Alive”).
Keith also branched into solo work, putting his own name atop the 2023 single “Pound Town” with Sexyy Red. The song became a viral hit for Sexyy Red and a few months after its January release, Nicki Minaj dropped a remix.
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY

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