Tay Keith’s cause of death has been revealed after the Grammy-nominated Memphis producer’s passing left the hip-hop community mourning. According to the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office, Tay Keith died from an overdose. He was just 29.
According to the report, Keith had ketamine and mitragynine in his system when he passed away. Mitragynine is a chemical compound found in kratom, a tree from Southeast Asia that affects the brain’s opioid receptors. The producer also had nicotine and ethanol in his system, and the medical examiner notes that he had mild coronary artery disease as well.
The update comes after fans, artists, and longtime collaborators spent weeks reacting to the loss of the producer, born Brytavious “Tay Keith” Chambers. At the time his death was first reported, officials stated that he was found deceased during a welfare check at his home.
BlocBoy JB, one of Tay Keith’s closest collaborators and cousin, reacted to the news almost immediately on Instagram. The rapper first shared a broken-heart emoji on his Instagram Story before posting a throwback photo with the producer and writing, “Dam Cuz…You just hurt me bad.”
HitKidd also paid tribute to Tay Keith, writing, “I ain’t even got the words, we been doing this since 2010 @taykeith,” along with a dove emoji.
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Tay Keith built his name in his hometown before becoming one of the most recognizable producers in modern rap. He helped power BlocBoy JB’s breakout single “Look Alive” featuring Drake, and later reached a major mainstream milestone with Travis Scott and Drake’s “SICKO MODE.” The track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Best Rap Song nomination at the 61st Grammy Awards.
His production credits stretched across hip-hop and pop, with work connected to Drake, Travis Scott, Eminem, Beyoncé, Lil Baby, Gunna, BlocBoy JB, Sexyy Red, Yo Gotti, Blac Youngsta, and Moneybagg Yo.
Even as his career took off, Tay Keith also finished his college education, graduating in December 2018 with degrees in Integrated Studies and Media Management.
As fans continue processing the official update, Tay Keith’s legacy remains tied to the Memphis sound he helped bring to a global audience and the records that made his producer tag instantly recognizable.
