Tay Keith’s cause of death revealed months after hitmaking producer died at 29

The Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office found ketamine and mitragynine in the Grammy-nominated producer’s system.
Music producer Tay Keith died from the toxic effects of drugs, according to findings from the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office, bringing new clarity to the sudden death of the acclaimed hip-hop producer at age 29.
The medical examiner found ketamine and mitragynine in Keith’s system, TMZ reported Thursday, citing the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office. Mitragynine is a compound found in kratom, a plant whose active chemicals interact with opioid receptors.
The findings do not establish that Keith was knowingly using kratom at the time of his death. TMZ reported that it remains unclear whether he had taken kratom or whether mitragynine entered his system through another source.
Keith also had nicotine and ethanol in his system, while the medical examiner noted mild coronary artery disease. Rolling Stone, citing a source at the Nashville medical examiner’s office, reported that the death was classified as an accidental overdose.
The Memphis-born producer, whose real name was Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, was found unresponsive at his Nashville apartment on June 18 after police conducted a welfare check. Authorities did not suspect foul play.
Keith’s death came as his influence in mainstream hip-hop was firmly established. His production credits included Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” Drake’s “Nonstop” and “Rich Flex,” as well as records involving Lil Baby, Eminem and Sexyy Red.
According to Billboard, Keith had 11 top-10 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 and four No. 1 songs. His work also helped shape the sound of Sexyy Red’s breakout period, while his ambitions extended beyond rap through his Nashville-based creative company, Drumatized.
Drake was among the artists who publicly mourned Keith shortly after his death. “Endless and eternal gratitude for your spirit and your contributions to this thing that we all love so much,” Drake wrote in a tribute shared June 19.
The newly reported medical findings add a definitive answer to one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding Keith’s death, while his catalog continues to stand as the lasting record of a producer whose work reached the top of the charts before his life was cut short.
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