Memphis Public Libraries dedicated its music production room at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library as the Tay Keith Music Lab, in remembrance of the Memphis-born, Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer.
The dedication follows a donation from the Tay Keith Legacy Foundation.
"Tay Keith was a wonderful example of just how deep music roots run in Memphis and how these roots can grow and also flourish," said Eric D. Harris, director of Memphis Public Libraries.
The dedication recognizes Keith’s contributions to Memphis music while creating a space where young people can learn about music production and develop their own skills, according to the city.
Speakers at the Sept. 21 launch event remembered Keith, born Brytavious Chambers, as a talented but humble
musician who cared deeply about young people and the city of Memphis.
Shortly after he became mayor, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said Keith and his team reached out to see how they could make investments in the city. After an initial conversation, Keith called Young every Monday to figure out how he could maximize his impact on the city he came from.
Young designated Sept. 20, Tay Keith's birthday, as "Tay Keith Day" in Memphis, and presented his family with a key to the city.
What does the Tay Keith Music Lab include?
The Tay Keith Legacy Initiative at Memphis Public Libraries will include the music production room, a music production curriculum focused on beat making, an archival collection including photographs, notes, awards, memorabilia and other items that document Keith's life and career, and an oral history initiative for family members and others who knew Keith to share their memories. These recordings will become part of the library's digital archive.
His older sister, Lisa Austin, said she remembered Keith clearing a closet to make room for a studio and putting a sock over the microphone to act as a filter. Their father was a locksmith who always pushed them to be entrepreneurs, she said, so it felt normal to watch him become a star — but it felt real when he was presented with a number one record at his college graduation.
"He just never forgot where he came from," Austin said. "He's the same person that would take his nieces and nephews to sit at a booth at Chili's with diamond chains on... he just took his city wherever he went."
Jack Armstrong covers breaking news and the environment for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at jack.armstrong@commercialappeal.com and followed on X @jca2902.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Public Libraries dedicates Tay Keith Music Lab
