In the summer of 2017, 17-year-old Texas rapper Tay-K lost his glory just as quickly as he gained it.
On June 30, 2017, he released his single “The Race” on SoundCloud, which would go on to be the lead single for his December 2017 debut project #SantanaWorld (+). “The Race” propelled from an underground bubbling track to mainstream rap hit in a hurry, peaking at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning RIAA Diamond certification and gaining the remix treatment with 21 Savage and Young Nudy.
However, the same day that song dropped, Tay-K was aerested for a murder he was alleged to commit three months earlier. As his “race” from capture ended, he began the judicial process for his supposed crimes.
In 2019, he would be indicted on that murder charge, and sentenced to 55 years in prison, where he currently resides. He would be the latest young hip-hop phenom with his career cut short, leaving fans to wonder about his potential.
He would later become the suspect for a second murder charge a few months later from a separate incident, and is still awaiting trial for that case. But, Tay-K has not given up on his chance to see freedom. On Dec. 27, he tweeted from his official Twitter account that he was seeking a new attorney to represent him in his appeals case.
At the moment, it is unclear what his issue was with his last lawyer, what he intends to appeal or how good his chances are of leaving prison any time soon. But, the tragic story of one of hip-hop’s youngest stars could be taking a turn soon.
