Key Takeaways
- Memphis producer Tay Keith died at 29. His hard-hitting, Memphis-rooted sound and famous "Tay Keith, fuck these niggas up" tag powered some of the decade's biggest rap records.
- There are 10 key songs—from early BlocBoy JB cuts and Key Glock's "Russian Cream" to Drake's "Look Alive," "Nonstop," and Travis Scott's "SICKO MODE"—that show how he evolved from neighborhood prodigy to in-demand hitmaker for stars across regions.
- Throughout his career he showed range and cultural impact, from respectfully reimagining Beyoncé's "Before I Let Go" to breaking new artists like Sexyy Red, underscoring how his Memphis sound reshaped mainstream rap.
In the wild world of rap, there is very little conventional wisdom out there. But here is one piece: if you hear "Tay Keith, fuck these niggas up," you are indeed about to get fucked up.
That tag—which features Clarksville, Tennessee rapper Lil Juice's voice and appears on almost all Tay Keith-produced songs—has been the first thing you heard in some of radio's most emblematic rap music of the decade. Ask 10 rap fans what song they think of when they hear it and you might get 10 different answers—"Look Alive," "Nonstop," "Pound Town."
A producer known for making mind-bending trunk rattlers, Tay Keith brought Memphis sound into the mainstream—syncopated, energetic, and flexible enough that rappers from Atlanta to Toronto to St. Louis could sound natural on his beats. On June 18, 2026 he was found dead in his apartment in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 29. No cause of death has been revealed.
In some ways, Tay Keith was a childhood prodigy. Born and raised in Memphis, he grew up soaking up game from his stepfather's brother who was a DJ. Around 13 or 14, he started making his own music using an HP computer and a Rock Band mic. He was rapping but saw that he could actually make money off of Google AdSense by posting his production on YouTube. "[They] started giving me a check, so eventually I just focused more on production," he told FADER in 2018.
By the time he entered college, he was getting placements for local stars, like Blac Youngsta (who once recorded a song called "I Met Tay Keith First") and Moneybagg Yo. Within a couple years, he moved from local placements to making global hits. In December 2018, after he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in integrated studies and media management, he had a song hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: the Travis Scott and Drake classic, "SICKO MODE."
This impact is why the rap world has been mourning the producer, with everyone from Sexyy Red to Tyler, the Creator to Key Glock. To honor the legendary producer, here's a guide to his discography. Tay Keith: His legacy explained in 10 songs.
BlocBoy JB, “Goons Coming” (2014)
In 2010, BlocBoy JB moved to Memphis. Right up the block was a young Tay Keith who just started to experiment with making music. BlocBoy recalled how they first met in a 2018 interview with FADER:
"I just so happened to walk down the street, and I see they [shed] open and they got studio equipment. I'm like, 'Oooh, they got studio equipment!' I went in there and fucked around and got some beats from him. We was so young that everybody was friendly."
The first song they released was "Goons Coming." The song features a very different producer tag (the much more straightforward "Tay Keith produced this") and BlocBoy fully channeling Gucci Mane. The production had some of the atmospheric touches that Tay would flesh out fully later, but it’s clear, listening now, the young producer was still figuring things out.
"We started bonding after that. I got him to send a couple more beats. My bros and them at the time they was rapping at the house, too. So, I snuck in and took they mic, put it in my room, and rapped in the closet," JB said. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Key Glock, “Russian Cream” (2018)
Hamilton High School has become a hotbed for rap talent, this includes Tay Keith and Key Glock, who both attended school there at the same time.
"Tay Keith and I met…in the cafeteria. Before the recognition, I knew he made beats and that's how we met," Key Glock told Respect in 2019. "When we learned about music, the vibes were crazy."
"Russian Cream," which dropped early 2018 and was the first single from Key Glock’s Glock Bond, was the biggest song they'd ever made together, and it's easy to see why. Tay Keith's twinkling, hypnotizing production—anchored by that slow, deep bass—created the perfect bed for Key Glock's nimble flows. Although they've made memorable work since, the triple platinum "Russian Cream" remains their defining collaboration. —Mark Braboy
BlocBoy JB feat. Drake, "Look Alive" (2018)
On a global level, the Tay Keith story begins with "Look Alive."
Most would assume this was a local hit that Drake heard, hopped on, and took to another level. But this was the opposite. This was a Drake song that BlocBoy hopped on.
Tay Keith, who was making noise in rap circles, had already secured placements with rising artists like Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta (who once released a song called "I Discovered Tay Keith"). This connected Tay Keith to Drake. When Drake posted an early version of "Look Alive" on Instagram, BlocBoy JB hit him in the DMs, leading to Drake asking him to hop on the song. "Then about two or three days later, he was in the city and we shot the video. It still seems fake, like a dream. I could pinch myself and not feel it," JB told the FADER in 2018.
The record became a smash, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Tay Keith's production vividly captures the spooky, insidious vibes of Memphis's grittiest parts with its dark keys and punchy production. Drake, with his Memphis roots through his father, brings things to an astronomic level with one of his best verses.
Tay Keith would later say that Drake could "single-handedly make someone a millionaire," and this song proved it. —Mark Braboy
Drake, "Nonstop" (2018)
While BlocBoy JB’s debut mixtape Simi was buzzing, thanks to the success of "Look Alive" and "Rover 2.0," Drake was cooking up Scorpion. One of the last songs recorded for the double album is the Tay Keith-produced heater "Nonstop."
The beat is simple: consistent hi-hats, snappy snares, and groaning bass run throughout the track. The secret sauce, however, is the obscure sample used, "My Head Is Spinnin'” from Memphis’ Mack Daddy Ju. It adds a sense of grit and urgency beneath the production, making the beat feel alive on its own.
"You know, he wanted that Memphis slap," Tay Keith told the FADER about the beat in 2018. The song was an immediate breakout, becoming the one of the most streamed songs on the album. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, right after "Nice For What?"
“It really blew me away,” Tay Keith told DJBooth. “It’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing because I didn’t expect people to gravitate to it like that.” —Antonio Johri
Travis Scott feat. Drake, "SICKO MODE" (2018)
If "Look Alive" made Tay Keith a household name, it was "SICKO MODE" that turned him into a star. The song has seven producers on its credits list, Hit-Boy, OZ, MIKE DEAN, CuBeatz, Rogét Chahayed, MD Beatz and Tay Keith so it's kind of a group project. But Tay Keith, who commands the second half, is the clear standout.
Travis begins the track with psychedelic maximalism before segueing into a zany transition handled by Swae Lee. Then, Tay Keith's tag drops, announcing his arrival on the beat. Chest-thumping kicks and faint bells cycle throughout the beat as Drake raps about loving "checks over stripes" and the Xan he took on his private jet.
When Complex asked the super-producer about his favorite record in 2019, it was no surprise when he replied, "I'm proud of ‘SICKO MODE'... I like that sound because it brought out a different vibe in me, producing-wise."
"SICKO MODE" demonstrated that Memphis production could thrive on the biggest stage in music, helping push the city's sound further into the mainstream and proving it to be an undeniable global phenomenon. —Antonio Johri
Lil Baby & Gunna feat. Drake, “Never Recover” (2018)
In 2018 Complex anointed Tay Keith the best producer alive. As Atlanta was becoming rap's mecca, he showed that there was space for Memphis’ gritty sound. And right before graduating college, Tay Keith connected with two of Atlanta’s most promising voices: Gunna and Lil Baby, as well as Drake, crafting "Never Recover" for the Drip Harder album.
"Never Recover" was a sleeper hit in the shadow of "Drip Too Hard," with Gunna even saying, "We wasn't even hyped 'bout that song." However, public opinion begged to differ. The track easily became one of the standout records on the project. The beat was laced with ominous bells that made your hair stand up, all built on a foundation of spiraling chimes. Add Drake's cutthroat guest verse, and the result was a certified banger.
Keith always had a distinct sound, and it felt like he could bring even the biggest artists into his world. —Antonio Johri
Beyoncé, “Before I Let Go” (2019)
Taking on a song that remakes Frankie Beverly and Maze's "Before I Let Go," a musical staple in almost every Black household, comes with steep expectations.
Had this been a blunder, Tay Keith's name would have been slandered beyond recognition all over the internet. But Beyoncé doesn't operate that way. Keith masterfully bridged generations of Black regional culture all in one song. From the infusion of New Orleans Bounce music to HBCU marching band drumlines and horns, Tay Keith beautifully paid homage to Beyoncé's southern roots while keeping the spirit of the original intact. This shows how the producer's musical depth was surprisingly far beyond his age and placed him in a category above his peers.
Speaking about the song, Keith told HuffPost in 2019: Beyoncé fans show me so much love because it’s not just a Beyoncé record, you know? This one connects with Frankie Beverly, so it’s kind of a “Black People Anthem.” Anybody could just remake a song, but when I work with Beyoncé and remake it, that takes it to a different level. I got a lot of support from the Beyhive, and a lot of her fans always send me love.” —Mark Braboy
Polo G feat. Stunna 4 Vegas & NLE Choppa, “Go Stupid” (2020)
When Polo G set out to deliver his anticipated sophomore album, The Goat, in 2020, it was hard not to wonder if he could live up to the high bar he set after his critically acclaimed debut, Die A Legend.
Hence why he called up Tay Keith to craft his most electrifying single to date, the posse cut "Go Stupid."
It's one of Keith's most chaotic and explosive soundscapes, with Polo, Stunna, and NLE Choppa all delivering standout verses. The song also shows the strength in his style—Polo G is the more melodic, subdued rapper, but the beat from Tay Keith gave him an unexpectedly energetic foundation to push against. —Mark Braboy
Sexyy Red, “SkeeYee” (2023)
Tay Keith often talked about how important it was finding new artists to work with. And one of his latest discoveries was Sexyy Red; he executive produced Hood Hottest Princess, the mixtape that turned her into a rap star.
The naughty "Pound Town" was what got her on the radio, but it was "SkeeYee" that proved she wasn't going anywhere. The song shows the strength of their partnership, with Tay Keith giving the St. Louis rapper a moody, almost late 2010s Gucci Mane-inspired palette to work with.
It does seem like there were issues. He was barely on her last project, Yo Favorite Trappa Favorite Rappa, and there have been rumblings of business disputes. But Sexyy posted a tribute to the producer who launched her career hours after he died.
And it was always clear Tay Keith admired the skill set of the polarizing rapper. During an interview with Billboard in 2023, he told the outlet: "People were trolling the shit out of me. They were real-deal trolling me. It wasn't much good feedback. It was coming from even people around me, 'What you doing?' I saw the potential. That's as simple as it was, me believing in her." —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Drake, “What Did I Miss?” (2025)
The first single from Iceman, "What Did I Miss?", shows how much making a modern rap hit has changed over the years. "Nonstop" was one producer—Tay Keith.
However, the more recent Drake and Tay Keith collaborations, including songs from Her Loss, "Push Ups", and "What Did I Miss?", see Tay Keith being more of an additive presence rather than taking center stage.
"What Did I Miss?" doesn't feature a Tay Keith tag, but you could hear his sound all over, especially the first half, which features a mix of foreboding and triumphant production. The song reached No. 2 last year, being his final top-10 production before his death. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
