DJ Kay Slay — record executive, radio host, graffiti artist, MC battle referee and longstanding New York hip-hop influencer at large — passed away yesterday (April 17) at age 55.
The news of Kay Slay's death was confirmed by Hot 97, the station where the DJ hosted a show called The Drama Hour, to which he dedicated 20-plus years, according to their statement.
The MC was hospitalized with COVID-19 last December and reportedly put on a ventilator, as per The Sun. In early January, His friend Wack 100 wrote in an Instagram post that Kay Slay had just been put on a ventilator. Wack 100 has continued documenting the DJ's prognosis with the virus, sharing last week that his friend had been taken off the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine for the past couple of weeks and was "still fighting."
"Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay," the bereaved family wrote in a statement of their own [via The New York Post]. "A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations."
The Grayson family added: "In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss."
Having originally found himself drawn most to the graffiti art aspect of hip-hop culture, Grayson appeared in the landmark 1983 documentary Style Wars. After watching the rise of iconic disc jockeys Grandmaster Flash and Kool DJ Red Alert firsthand, he decided to follow in their footsteps and released The Streetsweeper, Vol. 1 — his debut album as DJ Kay Slay — in 2003. His sophomore follow-up included a Three 6 Mafia feature and a track produced by Kanye West.
DJ Kay Slay went on to work with more of the biggest names in hip-hop, among them, Kendrick Lamar (who featured on 2017's "Cold Summer" alongside Mac Miller, Kevin Gates and Rell), Nas, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Nelly, Juicy J, 2 Chainz, DJ Khaled and ScHoolboy Q. He released his most recent album The Soul Controller at the end of 2021.
Tributes from hip-hop community heavyweights like Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Killer Mike and 50 Cent and more, which you can see below, have poured in following word of the MC's death.
The news of Kay Slay's death was confirmed by Hot 97, the station where the DJ hosted a show called The Drama Hour, to which he dedicated 20-plus years, according to their statement.
The MC was hospitalized with COVID-19 last December and reportedly put on a ventilator, as per The Sun. In early January, His friend Wack 100 wrote in an Instagram post that Kay Slay had just been put on a ventilator. Wack 100 has continued documenting the DJ's prognosis with the virus, sharing last week that his friend had been taken off the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine for the past couple of weeks and was "still fighting."
"Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay," the bereaved family wrote in a statement of their own [via The New York Post]. "A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations."
The Grayson family added: "In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss."
Having originally found himself drawn most to the graffiti art aspect of hip-hop culture, Grayson appeared in the landmark 1983 documentary Style Wars. After watching the rise of iconic disc jockeys Grandmaster Flash and Kool DJ Red Alert firsthand, he decided to follow in their footsteps and released The Streetsweeper, Vol. 1 — his debut album as DJ Kay Slay — in 2003. His sophomore follow-up included a Three 6 Mafia feature and a track produced by Kanye West.
DJ Kay Slay went on to work with more of the biggest names in hip-hop, among them, Kendrick Lamar (who featured on 2017's "Cold Summer" alongside Mac Miller, Kevin Gates and Rell), Nas, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Nelly, Juicy J, 2 Chainz, DJ Khaled and ScHoolboy Q. He released his most recent album The Soul Controller at the end of 2021.
Tributes from hip-hop community heavyweights like Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Killer Mike and 50 Cent and more, which you can see below, have poured in following word of the MC's death.
