NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith was found deceased Thursday in his Nashville apartment. He was 29.
Police said no foul play is suspected. The cause of death has not been determined.
The Memphis native was known for producing some of modern hip-hop's biggest hits. According to Billboard, he earned 11 Top 10 hits and four No. 1 records on the Billboard Hot 100, and was named Billboard's rap producer of the year.
For students and faculty at Middle Tennessee State University, where Keith studied, his death hit close to home.
"My brain was like, this isn't real," MTSU classmate Kaela Allen said.
Allen described Keith as someone she looked at like a brother and mentor, who encouraged others to follow their dreams while attending MTSU.
"He would always be like, 'How's the music going? Are you doing it? Are you going to be serious this time? We're ready for the music,'" Allen added.
Allen said she was 22 and Keith was 23 when he was already working with some of the industry's biggest names.
"I was 22 and he was 23 at the time already doing things with Drake and then Beyonce. It was like, back-to-back-to-back, like nonstop with him," Allen said.
Beverly Keel, dean of the MTSU Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, said his success came early and only grew after graduation.
"He already had a career people where envious of before he graduated. And after he graduated, he just soared to become Billboard's Rap Producer of the Year," Keel said.
Fellow classmate Langston Bleu said Keith's rise meant something beyond chart success.
"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."
For Allen, his legacy will endure.
"I don't see any history book being made without his name being mentioned. I don't see anybody mentioning hip-hop without his name being mentioned," she said.
Allen said those who knew him should carry forward what he built.
"We should definitely follow that momentum that he carried," Allen said. "It's Tay Keith."
When asked to sum up his legacy in one word, Allen did not hesitate.
"Icon," she said. Allen, whose stage name is Shamiere, will be honoring Keith during a performance coming up.
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