Memphis is honoring late hip-hop producer Tay Keith with a permanent tribute to his music and connection to the city that shaped his career.
The Memphis native, whose real name was Brytavious LaKeith Chambers, has been recognized with Sept. 20 officially designated as Tay Keith Day. City officials also presented his family with the Key to the City following his death in June at age 29.
Tay Keith became one of hip-hop’s most recognizable producers through work with artists including Drake, Travis Scott and Beyoncé.
His production credits included four No. 1 records on the Billboard Hot 100, among them Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.”
But the latest tribute goes beyond celebrating his chart success.
On Sept. 21, Memphis Public Libraries dedicated the Cloud901 production room to Tay Keith, creating the Tay Keith Music Lab as part of a broader effort to connect his legacy with the next generation of Memphis creators.
The space will give young people access to music-production equipment and instruction. A new Beat Making 101 curriculum will also introduce aspiring producers to the fundamentals of music production.
“The funding of this music lab is an investment in the next generation of Memphis talent,” Mayor Paul Young said. “His legacy will live on by giving young people the tools and space to create.”
The project is part of the Tay Keith Legacy Initiative, which will also include an archival collection documenting his life, career and contributions to Memphis music.
Family members and friends are expected to share memories through the library’s 901Voices oral-history initiative, with the recordings becoming part of the library’s digital archive.
“We are honored to dedicate our Cloud901 music production lab for Tay Keith,” library director Dr. Eric D. Harris said, describing it as a space where teens can “find their own voices.”
Tay Keith’s family said the tribute keeps his memory and work connected to the future of music in Memphis, describing the lab as a bridge to future DJs, producers and music executives.
Before his production work reached the world’s biggest stages, Tay Keith developed his sound in Memphis. The city is now preserving that connection by giving young creators access to some of the same tools needed to turn local talent into global music.
His name will remain attached not only to the records he helped create, but also to a space designed to help Memphis’ next generation create their own.
