Memphis Producer Tay Keith’s Cause of Death Revealed

Tay Keith’s cause of death has been revealed three months after the Memphis hitmaker was found dead on June 18 at 29 years old.

According to ABC News, an autopsy report obtained from the Office of the Medical Examiner in Nashville on Thursday (Sept. 17) stated that the producer — born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers — died of an accidental drug overdose, which included a fatal mix of “mitragynine, 7-hydroxy mitragynine, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and ketamine toxicity.” The report also listed “toxic effects of drugs” as the circumstances of death.

Metro Nashville Police said in June that foul play was not suspected in Tay Keith’s death. Officers had found the producer unresponsive in his apartment when looking to perform a wellness check.

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Tay Keith was one of hip-hop’s production architects in the late 2010s, ushering in a booming trap-laden sound, which dominated the charts. Keith notched 11 Billboard Hot 100 top 10s, including four No. 1 smashes ranging from Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” to Drake and J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter.”

Keith picked up a pair of Grammy nominations and has six No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, the most of any producer.

“Brytavious was a visionary producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, philanthropist and cultural force whose work helped define the sound of a generation from Memphis to the global stage. He shaped countless hit records and left a lasting mark on music and culture,” Keith’s family said in a statement released on June 21 through his Drumatized label.

The family continued: “Above all, Brytavious was a beloved son, brother, uncle, family member and friend. While the world knew him as Tay Keith, his family knew him as Brytavious, a source of love, strength, laughter, and guidance,” the statement continued. “We take comfort in knowing that his legacy will live on through the music he created, the opportunities he provided, and the lives he touched.”