Sexyy Red has responded to the unpaid royalties lawsuit filed by Tay Keith before his passing, asking to be removed immediately as a defendant.
On Wednesday (July 1), TMZ obtained documents filed by Sexyy’s legal team, which included a letter to the judge presiding over the case that the rapper wrote on June 6. In the note, Sexyy disputes the claims in the lawsuit and says she was recently made aware she had been named as a defendant.
“I am appalled and furthermore hurt by the allegations made,” she wrote, adding that she is merely an artist and not “allowed to pay producers.” Instead, she said, that is handled by the 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. 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.”
The pair worked on over a dozen songs together before Tay’s passing last month, including her smash hit “Pound Town,” all of which his lawsuit says he did not get compensated for. However, Sexyy says in her letter that even Tay previously told her she should not be named in the suit and didn’t know why she was.
A rep for the late producer confirmed to the outlet, “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.”
The legal rep for Sexyy’s label, Dameka Davis, added, “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 was found dead in his Nashville on June 18 at the age of 29. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
XXL has reached out to reps for Sexyy Red and Tay Keith for comment.
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