Hit Producer & DRUMATIZED Founder Tay Keith Passes

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Tay Keith

Grammy-nominated producer and DRUMATIZED Founder Tay Keith passed away today (June 18) at his Nashville home. He was 29.

Known for his hard-hitting trap beats, Keith earned 11 top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and produced four No. 1 hits, including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.” He also holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, with six. He is a two-time Grammy nominee and three-time BMI Producer of the Year.

Beyond hip-hop, Keith expanded into country music and worked to build opportunities for artists in Nashville. He founded DRUMATIZED, a label and creative space that supported both hip-hop and country musicians. The studio became the second Black-owned recording studio in Nashville and hosted private music camps for artists such as Walker Hayes, Lalo Guzman, Reyna Roberts and David J, among others. He has also worked with Kane Brown, ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman, among others.

Born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, Keith was born and raised in south Memphis, Tennessee. Around age 14, Keith started making music and sharing it on YouTube and DatPiff. Using a piano at home, he created original beats and remade popular songs, including Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop.”

After moving to East Memphis, Keith met rapper BlocBoy JB. The two quickly connected and began making music together, starting a partnership that would help shape both of their careers.

In December 2018, Keith graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, celebrated his first No. 1 hit with “Sicko Mode,” and earned his first Grammy nomination. He also remained committed to helping other artists succeed, playing a key role in the careers of Memphis rappers like BlocBoy JB and Black Youngsta. In 2018, he produced BlocBoy JB’s biggest hit, “Look Alive,” featuring Drake, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the Memphis rapper to a much larger audience.

In the early 2020s, he helped launch Sexyy Red into the spotlight by producing her breakout hit “Pound Town,” a song that helped turn her from a rising local artist into a major name in hip-hop.

Keith’s signature sound, which included booming drums and powerful bass, made his productions stand out. His work on songs like Eminem’s “Not Alike” and Lil Baby and Gunna’s “Never Recover” gave artists the energy and impact they were looking for while helping bring Memphis’ influence back to mainstream rap.

Additional credits also include BlocBoy JB’s “Rover” (later remixed to “Rover 2.0” featuring 21 Savage), and “Shoot,” Drake’s “Nonstop,” Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go,” Aitch’s “Rain,” featuring AJ Tracey and many more.

“He wasn’t impressed by his success, and if he had an ego, he never showed it,” says Beverly Keel, Dean of the MTSU Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment. “He was confident in his work, but there was no arrogance. (I once asked him if he was nervous sending a song to Beyonce, and he simply said no.) He was focused on building an empire, supporting and building others’ careers along the way. He hired several MTSU students as interns.”

Funeral services have not been announced.

Madison Hahnen
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