The cause of death for Tay Keith, the Memphis producer whose real name was Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, has been revealed as an overdose, according to TMZ.
Keith died at age 29 from the toxic effects of drugs, according to an autopsy report from the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office. The report identified ketamine and mitragynine in his system.
The findings provide new details about the circumstances surrounding the producer’s death, although the report does not establish how either substance was consumed or how mitragynine entered his system.
Mitragynine is a compound found in kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia. While the substance can interact with the brain’s opioid receptors, the autopsy does not establish that Keith directly consumed kratom.
Ketamine, meanwhile, is a dissociative anesthetic with legitimate medical uses. It can also produce altered perception and other effects when misused.
The medical examiner’s findings identify the substances detected in Keith’s system and attribute his death to their toxic effects, but they do not provide further details about the source or circumstances of his exposure.
Keith became one of hip-hop’s most recognizable young producers, building a reputation through collaborations with major artists including Drake and Travis Scott.
His production work helped shape a significant part of contemporary rap, while his Memphis roots remained central to his identity within the genre.
Following his death, artists, collaborators and fans mourned the producer and reflected on his contribution to hip-hop.
The autopsy provides the clearest public account so far of what substances were present in Keith’s system. But important questions surrounding how he was exposed to them remain unanswered.
