Producer Tay Keith found dead in Nashville at 29

Tay Keith, the Grammy-nominated record producer whose work powered hits by Travis Scott, Drake, Eminem, Beyoncé and others, was found dead Thursday in his Nashville apartment, police said. He was 29.

Officers performing a welfare check found Keith unresponsive Thursday afternoon at his Martin Street apartment, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said. Police did not say what prompted the welfare check.

No foul play is suspected, the department said. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Keith, whose birth name was Brytavious Chambers, spent much of his life in Tennessee. He was from Memphis and attended Middle Tennessee State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2018, according to CBS affiliate WTVF.

His career connected him with some of the biggest names in rap and pop. Keith earned two Grammy nominations for Best Rap Song: one in 2019 for Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” featuring Drake, Big Hawk and Swae Lee, and another in 2024 for Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex.” He was a producer on both tracks.

Keith helped produce “Sicko Mode” while he was a student at Middle Tennessee State University, NBC News reported. His career included four No. 1 records on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s 2023 hit “First Person Shooter.”

His production credits also included Drake’s “Nonstop” and Eminem’s “Not Alike.” He frequently collaborated with rapper Sexyy Red, including on “Get It Sexxy” and “Pound Town.”

News of Keith’s death drew public reaction in Memphis. Memphis Mayor Paul Young posted a photo of himself with Keith on Facebook.

“Rest in peace, Tay Keith,” Young wrote.

Police said the cause of death remains pending autopsy results.