Drake paid his respects to the late producer Tay Keith with a heartfelt Instagram tribute following the Memphis native’s unexpected death on June 18 at age 29.
The Grammy-nominated producer, whose real name was Brytavious Chambers, was discovered at his Nashville apartment during a welfare check, with authorities confirming no foul play was involved in the incident. His cause of death remains unclassified pending autopsy results, leaving the music community in mourning over the loss of one of Hip-Hop’s most influential sonic architects. The Canadian rapper’s words reflected the profound impact Tay Keith had on modern Hip-Hop production, having crafted some of the genre’s most iconic tracks. Beyond their collaboration on Drake’s 2018 hit “Nonstop” from the Scorpion album, Keith’s fingerprints were all over the culture, producing BlocBoy JB’s “Look Alive,” which featured Drake, Travis Scott’s chart-topping “Sicko Mode,” and records for Eminem, Beyoncé, 21 Savage, Swae Lee, and Miley Cyrus.
He founded Drumatized, a label dedicated to supporting emerging Hip-Hop and country artists, and was deeply invested in mental health advocacy and cancer awareness initiatives honoring his late mother.
