Photo by Kinnawa Kaitibi
Memphis paused Sunday to honor one of its own. Mayor Paul Young presented the key to the city to the family of Tay Keith, the Grammy-nominated Memphis producer behind some of hip-hop’s biggest records, on what would have been his 30th birthday. The city also declared September 20 Tay Keith Day.
Alongside the honor, the city and the Tay Keith Foundation opened the Tay Keith Music Lab at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, offering beat-making courses like “Tay Keith Beat Making 101” to the next generation of Memphis producers. An archival collection and an oral history project called 901Voices are part of the same partnership.
“The funding of this music lab is an investment in the next generation of Memphis talent and a fitting tribute to Tay Keith,” Mayor Young said.
