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Producer Tay Keith Found Dead; Drake Posts Tribute

6/21/2026

Summary

Tay Keith Dies

Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment on June 18 2026.
Metro Nashville Police said no foul play is suspected and the death remains unclassified pending autopsy results.
Rapper Drake posted an Instagram tribute to the late producer after his death.
Keith produced hits such as “Sicko Mode” and earned Grammy nominations in 2019 and 2024, as well as three BMI Producer of the Year awards.

Summary

Tay Keith Breakthrough

His 2018 collaboration with BlocBoy JB on “Look Alive” broke through, propelling Memphis-style trap onto global charts and citing Three 6 Mafia, Playa Fly and 8Ball & MJG as key influences.
Tay Keith earned a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University in 2018 while initially uploading beats to DatPiff and YouTube to attract attention.
He remained tied to the Memphis music scene, working with Hitkidd since 2010 and mentoring rising artist Sexyy Red.

Summary

Tay Keith Dispute

Allegations surfaced that producer Tay Keith was in a payment dispute with rapper Sexyy Red over roughly 12 songs.
An Instagram user claimed Keith was suing the rapper, intensifying the royalty controversy.
Sexyy Red posted an Instagram tribute calling Keith a brother despite the financial accusations.
Juicy J expressed condolences for Keith.
Fans debated producer-artist payment practices and revived calls for clearer royalty contracts in hip-hop.

History

Historical Context

In 1996 Dr. Dre left Death Row Records, sued Suge Knight for unpaid royalties and settled that year, after his earlier triple-platinum success with The Chronic in 1993. The dispute foreshadowed later beat-ownership fights, such as the royalty clash surrounding Tay Keith’s death, underscoring ongoing tensions over producer contracts in hip-hop.

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Tay Keith Dies

Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment on June 18 2026.
Metro Nashville Police said no foul play is suspected and the death remains unclassified pending autopsy results.
Rapper Drake posted an Instagram tribute to the late producer after his death.
Keith produced hits such as “Sicko Mode” and earned Grammy nominations in 2019 and 2024, as well as three BMI Producer of the Year awards.

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