Tay Keith died of accidental drug overdose, Nashville examiner says
Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer Tay Keith died from an accidental drug overdose in June. He was 29. A source at the medical examiner's office in Nashville gave the finding to Rolling Stone, which published it on 17 September.
The cause of death was listed as combined mitragynine, 7-Hydroxymitragynine, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and ketamine toxicity. That is the medical term for the combined effects of those substances in the body. The manner of death was ruled an accident. TMZ was the first outlet to report the finding.
Mitragynine is a naturally occurring alkaloid that can be isolated from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a medicinal plant also known as kratom. The death record groups it with two related compounds, 7-Hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, alongside ketamine. In plain terms, the listing points to kratom-related compounds taken together with ketamine.
Keith, whose birth name was Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, was found dead in his Nashville apartment on 18 June, according to The Tennessean. Officers found him in his apartment on Martin Street while carrying out a welfare check. That is a visit officers make when someone cannot be reached and there is concern for their safety.
At that stage his death was described as unclassified. That meant no cause had been confirmed before further examination. The Metro Nashville Police Department said at the time that no foul play was suspected.
That early statement left the case waiting on laboratory work. A cause of death is often confirmed only after an autopsy and toxicology tests, which can take weeks or months to complete and review. Three months passed between Keith's death and the disclosure of the cause.
Rolling Stone said it has requested the full autopsy report, which would set out the medical findings in full. That request remains open. No further medical detail has been released.
Keith worked as a hip-hop producer. His production credits include "Sicko Mode". He died in Nashville, the city where officers found him in June.
