Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, better known as Tay Keith, died on 18 June 2026 at the age of 29 after being found in his Nashville apartment during a welfare check. Police said no foul play is suspected and the cause of death remains pending autopsy results.
The news hit particularly hard because Keith was not a veteran producer looking back on a long career, he was still in the middle of one. In less than a decade he had become one of the defining architects of mainstream rap, helping shape records for Drake, Travis Scott, Beyoncé, Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Sexyy Red and dozens more.
Yet reducing his influence to a list of superstar collaborators misses the point.
Tay Keith’s greatest achievement was taking the DNA of Memphis rap and placing it at the centre of popular culture. The darkness, tension and low-end power that had long defined artists such as Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG were reimagined for the streaming age. His productions sounded unmistakably Southern, unmistakably Memphis, yet they were flexible enough for artists from Toronto, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago and St Louis to inhabit comfortably.
The result was one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary hip-hop.
These are the five songs that best explain his legacy.
1. “Look Alive”
BlocBoy JB featuring Drake (2018)
Every great producer has a breakthrough moment. This was his.
Before “Look Alive”, Tay Keith was building a reputation in Memphis through collaborations with BlocBoy JB, Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta. After “Look Alive”, he became one of the most sought-after producers in rap.
The record reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced millions of listeners to Keith’s signature formula: ominous piano melodies, bruising drums and enough space for a rapper to dominate without the beat ever losing its menace.
2. “Nonstop”
Drake (2018)
If “Look Alive” introduced the world to Tay Keith, “Nonstop” confirmed he was not a one-hit wonder.
Built around a hypnotic Memphis sample and stripped-down percussion, the track became one of the standout moments on Drake’s blockbuster Scorpion album. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of the defining rap records of 2018.
3. “SICKO MODE”
Travis Scott featuring Drake (2018)
No song carries more cultural weight in Tay Keith’s catalogue.
While “SICKO MODE” featured a team of producers, it is Keith’s contribution during the track’s explosive final section that became the song’s defining moment.
The song reached No. 1 in the United States, earned Grammy nominations and became one of the signature records of the streaming era.
For many listeners, “SICKO MODE” was the moment Tay Keith stopped being a producer’s producer and became a household name.
4. “Before I Let Go”
Beyoncé (2019)
This is the record that proved Tay Keith could do far more than make rap bangers.
Frankie Beverly and Maze’s original “Before I Let Go” occupies sacred territory in Black music culture. Reworking it carried enormous expectations and significant risk.
Speaking to HuffPost in 2019, Keith said:
“Anybody could just remake a song, but when I work with Beyoncé and remake it, that takes it to a different level.”
5. “Pound Town”
Sexyy Red (2023)
By the time “Pound Town” arrived, Tay Keith had already produced some of the decade’s biggest records. He could easily have spent the rest of his career working exclusively with established stars.
Instead, he helped introduce Sexyy Red to a mainstream audience.
The record became a viral phenomenon and launched one of hip-hop’s most unlikely success stories. More importantly, it demonstrated Keith’s ability to spot raw charisma before the wider industry caught on.
Reflecting on the backlash he received for backing Sexyy Red early on, Keith told Billboard:
“People were trolling the shit out of me. It wasn’t much good feedback. I saw the potential.”
Other honourable mentions
Any list of five songs leaves out major chapters of the story. These records deserve recognition too:
- “Russian Cream” – Key Glock (2018)
- “Never Recover” – Lil Baby, Gunna & Drake (2018)
- “Go Stupid” – Polo G, NLE Choppa & Stunna 4 Vegas (2020)
- “SkeeYee” – Sexyy Red (2023)
- “Rich Flex” – Drake & 21 Savage (2022)
- “First Person Shooter” – Drake featuring J. Cole (2023)
- “Don’t Come Out The House” – Metro Boomin & 21 Savage (2018)
- “EVERY CHANCE I GET” – DJ Khaled, Lil Baby & Lil Durk (2021)
- “Temptation” – Future (2019)
- “Rain” – Aitch & AJ Tracey featuring Tay Keith (2020)
A legacy larger than the hits
The temptation with an artist like Tay Keith is to focus on the numbers.
There were Billboard No. 1 singles, Grammy nominations, billions of streams, a place on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and credits alongside some of the biggest names in contemporary music.
Tay Keith helped change the sound of modern rap. For a producer who started making beats as a teenager on a home computer, it is a remarkable legacy.
