Grammy-nominated record producer Tay Keith, whose beats powered some of the biggest rap hits of the past decade including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” has been found dead at his Nashville home aged 29.
Police performing a welfare check discovered the producer, whose real name is Brytavious Chambers, unresponsive in his Martin Street apartment in Nashville on Thursday afternoon, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed. No foul play is suspected. His death is pending autopsy results. NBC News said it had reached out to his representative for comment.
Keith, who hailed from Tennessee, had risen from a student at Middle Tennessee State University to one of the most sought-after producers in hip-hop, working with some of the genre’s biggest names including Beyoncé, Drake and Travis Scott. His career produced four number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, a remarkable achievement that underscored his influence on mainstream rap across nearly a decade.
He received his first Grammy nomination in 2019 for his work on Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” a track he helped produce while still studying at Middle Tennessee State University. He received a second nomination in 2024 for “Rich Flex” by Drake and 21 Savage. He was also closely associated with rapper Sexyy Red, collaborating on tracks including “Get It Sexxx” and “Pound Town.”
The music industry is yet to formally respond to the news, though tributes are expected given the scale of Keith’s contribution to the genre. He was 29.
