Sexyy Red Breaks Silence on Tay Keith Lawsuit Days Before His Death

In the days before music producer Tay Keith’s death on June 18, 2026, Sexyy Red took the unusual step of writing directly to the judge overseeing his lawsuit against her label. The emotional letter, dated June 6, 2026, reveals a complicated picture of how royalty disputes play out in the modern music industry—and highlights a troubling disconnect between artists and the business machinery that surrounds them.

Tay Keith had sued claiming he produced 13 songs for Sexyy Red in 2024 without receiving a single payment. But here’s where it gets messy: Sexyy Red herself was named as a defendant, despite having little control over the actual money flow. In her letter, she expressed genuine hurt at being dragged into the dispute, writing that she was“appalled and furthermore hurt by the allegations made.”Her core argument was straightforward—she’s an artist, not an accountant. She doesn’t cut checks to producers. That’s the label’s job.

Sexyy went further, revealing something that speaks to a larger industry problem: she herself hadn’t been paid for several songs she’d worked on with Tay Keith. She explained to the judge that this delay was just“a process the label uses in making payments after all the monies are recouped.”In other words, even the artist whose name’s on the track sometimes waits for her own money. The system doesn’t prioritize speed or transparency for anyone below the executive suite.

What’s particularly striking is that Sexyy and Tay Keith apparently had a good working relationship. She described him as both“great working partners”and“greater friends,”and claimed he told her he was unsure why she’d even been named in the lawsuit. A rep for Tay and the label later confirmed this—Sexyy Red should never have been added as a defendant. It was, they said,“a legal formality.”

The label’s attorney, Dameka Davis, told media outlets that royalty negotiations are handled by labels, not artists, and that the team was working to finalize compensation for Tay Keith’s contributions. The label claimed those issues were being resolved in the weeks before his death. But by then, it was too late. Tay Keith’s passing shifted everything from a business dispute into something far heavier—a reminder that behind every lawsuit about unpaid royalties are real people, real friendships, and real consequences when the industry moves too slowly.

Sexyy Red asked that her name be removed from the case immediately. Whether that request was granted before Tay Keith’s death isn’t clear from available details. What is clear is that this case—and the letter that preceded it—exposes how easily artists can find themselves defendants in battles they didn’t create, defending systems they don’t control.