Drake has shared a touching tribute to Tay Keith, his late collaborator who passed away earlier this week.
On Friday (June 19), Drizzy took to Instagram to post a photograph of the late producer alongside the phrases "In Loving Memory" and "Rest In Peace," as well as a thoughtful caption.
"Endless and eternal gratitude for your spirit and your contributions to this thing that we all love so much…you will be deeply missed," Drake wrote about Tay Keith, who is responsible for producing some of his biggest hits, including "Nonstop," "What Did I Miss?," "Rich Flex," and the Travis Scott-assisted "Sicko Mode."
Tay Keith (real name Brytavious Chambers) was was found dead in his Nashville apartment on Thursday (June 18), after Metro Nashville Police responded to a welfare check. He was 29. Police believe there was no foul play. However, the death is unclassified pending autopsy results.
Over the last decade, Keith built one of the most celebrated production resumes in modern rap. Along with "Sicko Mode," which earned him his first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, the producer was nominated for Best Rap Song at the Grammys twice; the first in 2019 for the aforementioned "Sicko Mode" and a second in 2024 for "Rich Flex."
Keith was also a three-time BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year, most recently in 2024. Complex named him the best producer alive in 2018.
In addition to receiving an outpouring of condolences from friends and past collaborators such as Juicy J, Tyler, the Creator, and Key Glock, Keith’s passing was mourned by rapper Sexyy Red, who recruited the late producer as executive producer on her 2024 mixtape, In Sexyy We Trust.
After Sexyy posted an image of her and Keith on Instagram, some of her followers responded by referencing a lawsuit that Keith filed against the rapper’s label, Rebel Music, which was later clarified by attorney Dameka Davis.
"I’ve worked closely with the legal counsel and team for Tay Keith to finalize the royalty agreement to fully compensate him for his valuable contributions as a musical collaborator with Sexyy," Davis stated to Complex, adding that the parties were in the "final stages" of fully compensating the producer.
