NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tay Keith, the Grammy-nominated producer whose beats helped shape some of hip-hop's biggest hits, has died at age 29.
Metro Nashville Police said Keith was found dead Thursday afternoon in his apartment on Martin Street during a welfare check. Investigators said no foul play is suspected. His death remains unclassified pending autopsy results.
Born in Memphis, Keith, whose birth name is Brytavious Chambers, produced chart-topping hits including BlocBoy JB's "Look Alive," Drake's "Nonstop," Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode" and Beyoncé's "Before I Let Go." Keith received two Grammy nominations for Best Rap Song as a producer. The first came in 2019 for "Sicko Mode." He earned a second nomination in 2024 for Drake and 21 Savage's "Rich Flex."
But those who knew him say his legacy extended beyond music.
Keith graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in December 2018, becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree.
Beverly Keel, dean of MTSU's Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, said Keith was already working with major artists before graduation, but remained committed to finishing school because he had promised his mother he would earn a degree.
"He had already created a name for himself," Keel said. "Lots of people were telling him, 'Hey, you're already working with Drake and Travis Scott. Why are you finishing a degree?' But it was so important to him. He was the first to graduate from college in his family."
Keel said Keith graduated the same month he earned a Grammy nomination and helped produce a No. 1 record with Travis Scott.
"He was a really good man," Keel said. "Even if he hadn't had all this international success, he was a good person."
According to Keel, Keith regularly attended MTSU events during Grammy week in Los Angeles and offered advice to aspiring artists and producers.
"We're all just shattered and devastated," she said. "We all loved him so much here."
Fellow MTSU alumnus and songwriter Langston Bleu, who attended the university with Keith from 2012 to 2016, said Keith's success inspired many students, who saw a path for themselves through his achievements.
"Particularly a lot of Black students at MTSU and [students] from Memphis saw that success was possible," Bleu said. "When they saw Tay Keith, they saw that they could be successful. They saw that it's possible."
Police have not released additional information about the circumstances surrounding Keith's death.
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