Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith, the hitmaker behind chart-topping songs by Drake, Travis Scott and Beyoncé, died of an accidental drug overdose, Tennessee officials confirmed nearly three months after he was found dead in his Nashville apartment.
Keith, whose real name was Brytavious Chambers, was 29. The Metro Nashville Police Department previously said no foul play was suspected after officers found him during a welfare check June 18.
The Memphis native helped shape the sound of modern hip-hop through hits including Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” Drake’s “Nonstop” and BlocBoy JB’s “Look Alive.” His work earned Grammy recognition and extended beyond rap as he sought to connect hip-hop and country songwriters through his company, Drumatized.
Who was Tay Keith?
Keith
began making music as a teenager, sharing his work on YouTube and the mixtape platform DatPiff. At 14, he began collaborating with Memphis rapper BlocBoy JB. Their partnership eventually produced the 2018 hit “Look Alive,” featuring Drake.
Keith attended Middle Tennessee State University and graduated in 2018 with a degree in integrated studies and a concentration in media management. In a 2020 interview published by the university, he explained why he remained committed to finishing college as his music career took off.
“There wouldn’t be any point for me to come to college if I didn’t want to finish it. I could have just focused 100% on music,” Keith said. “By my last week of college, I had my first No. 1 single, so it didn’t make any sense to drop out.”
What songs did Tay Keith produce?
Keith helped co-produce Scott’s 2018 No. 1 hit “Sicko Mode,” one of the most prominent songs of his career.
His production credits also included Drake’s “Nonstop,” Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go,” Miley Cyrus’ “Mother’s Daughter” and Eminem’s “Not Alike.”
Keith expanded into work as a lead artist with “Pound Town,” his 2023 collaboration with Sexyy Red. The song gained wider attention after Nicki Minaj joined a remix.
His more recent credits included Megan Thee Stallion’s 2024 track “Broke His Heart,” Jack Harlow’s 2025 song “Just Us” featuring Doja Cat and Scott’s 2025 single “4X4.”
Tay Keith worked to bridge hip-hop and country music
Although Keith was best known for hip-hop and rap, he also worked to bring musical genres together through cross-genre writing camps organized by Drumatized. The company supported artists, producers and songwriters working in hip-hop and country music.
“Country writers learning the power of their lyrics beyond genre should know the depth of the power of their storytelling,” Keith told The Tennessean in a 2024 interview.
In a statement to Billboard, Keith’s family described him as a “visionary producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cultural force whose work helped define the sound of a generation.”
“He shaped countless hit records and left a lasting mark on music and culture,” the family said. “He was deeply committed to creating opportunities for others through his company, Drumatized, supporting emerging songwriters, producers, and artists.”
His family also said Keith supported mental health awareness and cancer-related causes in honor of his late mother.
Contributing: Caché McClay and Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tay Keith's cause of death confirmed
