Sexyy Red has paid tribute to Tay Keith, even as the grief plays out against the backdrop of a legal dispute that was never resolved before his death.
On Friday (June 19), the St. Louis rapper took to Instagram to share a series of photos and videos of herself with Keith in a post, tagging his account and penning an emotional caption with prayer-hand emojis.
"BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT WE BROTHERS BUT NOT RELATED," she wrote in the caption. "I LOVE YOU BRUDDAAA STILL DA BEST DUO US 5LIFE."
Fans were quick to respond to her tribute by bringing up the lawsuit Keith filed against Red’s record label, Rebel Music, before his death, which alleges he was never compensated for producing multiple tracks for her.
"U posting this like u didn’t finesse him," one IG user wrote while several others asked if the producer was really suing her.
In a statement sent to Complex by Rebel Music attorney Dameka Davis, she said the parties were close to finalizing payment prior to Keith’s death.
"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 wrote. "In fact, we were in the final stages of getting Tay Keith fully compensated before his shocking passing this week. We are expediting finishing this work with Tay Keith’s attorney in order for full payment to be made to his estate as soon as possible."
Tay Keith was found dead at his Nashville apartment on Thursday (June 18) during a welfare check conducted by Metro Nashville Police Department officers. He was 29. Police confirmed no foul play is suspected, and an autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.
In addition to Red, several other artists from the hip-hop world expressed their condolences for Keith — such as Glorilla, who wrote: "REAL MEMPHIS LEGEND. RIP SOLDIER" on social media.
Keith and Red had one of hip-hop’s most popular creative partnerships prior to his passing. Keith previously revealed that he reached out to Red on Instagram in 2022, convincing her of her superstar potential.
"People were trolling the shit out of me," he told Billboard. "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."
That bet paid off. "Pound Town," released January 27, 2023, went viral on TikTok and marked Tay Keith's first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist, debuting at No. 66. Then "SkeeYee" became a summer anthem and hit No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
Tay Keith served as executive producer of Sexyy Red's 2024 mixtape In Sexyy We Trust, which peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200. He had also been working on a full collaboration album with her.
"I feel like we make the best club music right now," he told Billboard. In a Highsnobiety interview, he called her "my sister" and added, "No rap cap, no fake shit. All genuine love."
