Sexyy Red submitted an emotional letter to the judge in late producer Tay Keith’s lawsuit over unpaid music royalties, according to documents obtained by BlkCosmo. The letter, written on June 6, 2026, arrived just days before Keith’s death. At the time, he was actively suing her label for compensation.
In her correspondence, Sexyy Red disputed the allegations leveled against her. She expressed that she was “appalled and furthermore hurt by the allegations made,” noting she had only recently learned she’d been named as a defendant in the case.
The core of her defense centered on a distinction she emphasized to the court: as an artist, she has no authority over producer payments. That responsibility falls entirely on the record label. “There are several songs that Tay Keith and I have worked on together that I haven’t received payment for yet,” she explained. “It’s just a process the label uses in making payments after all the monies are recouped.”
Sexyy characterized her relationship with Keith as both collegial and personal. “Tay Keith and I are great working partners and even greater friends,” she told the judge. “If the label owes him money, I’m sure they have started the process to get him paid.” She added that Keith himself expressed confusion about why she’d been included in the lawsuit, claiming he told her he was unsure of his reasoning for naming her.
In his original filing, Keith alleged he’d produced 13 tracks for Sexyy during 2024 without receiving any payment whatsoever. Her request to the court was straightforward: immediate removal from the case.
Keith’s representatives and the record label’s legal team appeared to align with Sexyy’s position. A spokesperson for Keith and the label confirmed that Sexyy should never have been added as a defendant in the first place.
Dameka Davis, the label’s attorney, addressed the matter directly: “Royalty negotiations are handled by labels, not artists. 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.” The label maintained that royalty disputes were being actively resolved in the weeks leading up to Keith’s death.
Keith’s representatives issued a final clarification: “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.”
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