Sexyy Red Asks Judge to Remove Her From Tay Keith Royalty Lawsuit

ATLANTA, GA — Sexyy Red is pushing back against an unpaid royalties lawsuit connected to late producer Tay Keith, asking a judge to remove her as a defendant while arguing that any payment disputes belong between the producers and record labels—not the artists.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Sexyy Red’s legal team filed a letter on June 6 requesting that she be dismissed from the lawsuit. In the letter, the St. Louis rapper says she was surprised to learn she had been named in the legal action.

“I am appalled and furthermore hurt by the allegations made,” Sexyy Red wrote.

She explained that artists do not personally issue producer royalty payments, saying those financial matters are handled by the record label.

“Tay Keith and I are great working partners and even greater friends,” she continued. “If the label owes him money, I’m sure they have started the process to get him paid.”

The rapper also revealed that she has experienced similar delays herself, stating that there are songs she recorded with Tay Keith for which she has not yet been paid.

“There are several songs that Tay Keith and I have worked on together that I haven’t received payment for yet. It’s just a process the label uses in making payments after all the monies are recouped.”

A Long Working Relationship

Sexyy Red and Tay Keith collaborated on more than a dozen records, including the breakout hit “Pound Town.” The lawsuit alleges that Tay Keith was not properly compensated for his production work on several of those songs.

However, Sexyy Red claims that Tay Keith himself previously told her he didn’t believe she should have been included in the lawsuit and wasn’t sure why her name appeared as a defendant.

A representative for the late producer told TMZ:

“The dispute is between the parties’ respective labels, and naming Sexyy Red in the lawsuit was a legal formality. Any allegations are directed at the label, not Red personally.”

Meanwhile, Dameka Davis, legal counsel for Sexyy Red’s label, echoed that position.

“Royalty negotiations are handled by labels, not artists, and I’ve worked closely with the legal counsel and team for Tay Keith to finalize the royalty agreement to fully compensate him for his valuable contributions as a musical collaborator with Sexyy.”

Tay Keith’s Passing

The legal dispute comes in the wake of the tragic passing of producer Tay Keith, who was found dead at his Nashville home on June 18 at the age of 29. At the time of publication, an official cause of death has not been publicly released.

Tay Keith was widely recognized as one of hip-hop’s most influential producers, helping craft hits for artists including Drake, Travis Scott, BlocBoy JB, Moneybagg Yo, and Sexyy Red.

The Bigger Picture

The case highlights a common issue within the music industry: royalty disputes often involve record labels, publishers, and producers rather than the recording artists themselves. While artists are typically the public face of a release, contractual obligations surrounding producer payments are generally handled behind the scenes by labels and legal teams.

As the case continues, Sexyy Red is seeking to be formally removed from the lawsuit, maintaining that she has no authority over producer royalty payments.