The New York Times

DJ Kay Slay, Fiery Radio Star and Rap Mixtape Innovator, Dies at 55

The onetime graffiti artist and New York D.J. for Hot 97 was known for breaking artists and stoking beefs that gave fuel to the careers of Nas, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and more. By Joe Coscarelli DJ Kay Slay, ...
Hollywood Life

DJ Kay Slay: 5 Things To Know About NY Hip-Hop Icon Who Died At 55

Perhaps what earned him the nickname Drama King was the DJ’s tendency to compile massive mixtapes, many of which were filled with diss tracks with rappers taking shots at one another. While the ...
Complex

Excerpt: DJ Kay Slay Reflects on Cam'ron Coming Up With Dipset's Mixtape Series in 'Do Remember: The Era of NYC Hip-Hop Mixtapes'

The Golden Era of NYC Hip-Hop Mixtapes, DJ Kay Slay looked back on his beloved mixtape series with The Diplomats. The book explores the cassette era of mixtapes in NYC from the late ‘80 and ‘90s, but ...
The Source Magazine

The Source Magazine Remembers DJ Kay Slay ‘The Drama King’ Three Years Later

On this date in 2022, the hip-hop world lost one of its most prolific voices when DJ Kay Slay, known affectionately as “The Drama King,” passed away at the age of 55 due to complications related to ...
AllHipHop

DJ Kay Slay Honored With Posthumous Street-Naming Ceremony

According to a Facebook post from his brother Kwame Grayson, Kay Slay’s longtime friend and collaborator Papoose, manager Jarrod “General” Whitaker and Ladi Kutz will serve as hosts. DJ Kay Slay will ...
The Fader

From graffitti tags to diss tracks, DJ Kay Slay’s hip-hop influence was generational

In an industry that overwhelmingly prizes youth and novelty over experience, Keith Grayson, best known as DJ Kay Slay, was a rare beacon of continuity across hip-hop’s many eras. Though his early ...
KTVZ

DJ Kay Slay, maven of New York hip-hop, dies from Covid-19 complications

DJ Kay Slay, an influential member of the New York hip-hop scene whose raucous mixtapes became legendary, has died from Covid-19 complications. His family confirmed his death through a statement ...
Yahoo

Fat Joe & E-40 Remember DJ Kay Slay: ‘We’re Gonna Represent Him the Right Way’

After a monthslong battle with COVID-19, DJ Kay Slay — born Keith Grayson — passed away on Sunday (April 17) at the age of 55. A renowned graffiti artist who starred in 1983’s Wild Life documentary, ...
mic

DJ Kay Slay evolved with hip-hop, and hip-hop evolved with him

“He used to be the King of the 3 Line, but now he's the DRAMA KING!”—a YouTube comment from 11 years ago Over this past weekend, Keith Grayson, the Harlem native best known to hip-hop fans as DJ Kay ...
Paste

New York Hip-Hop Pioneer DJ Kay Slay Dead at 55

DJ Kay Slay, the influential DJ and record executive, died at 55 following a four-month-long battle with COVID-19. News of his death began circulating on the night of April 17 and was confirmed in the ...
WRIC

Hip-hop pioneer DJ Kay Slay dies after COVID battle at 55, Hot 97 says

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Hip-hop figure Keith Grayson, famously known as DJ Kay Slay, died Sunday evening after battling COVID-19 for four months, according to his family and radio station Hot 97. Known as ...