Tay-K

Taymor Travon McIntyre was born in Long Beach, California, and spent parts of his childhood in California and Nevada before moving to Arlington, Texas. His mother moved him and his sister to Las Vegas when he was eight, and the family later moved to Arlington after his father was released from prison. McIntyre attended Young Junior High School and Martin High School before dropping out during his freshman year.

He cited Chief Keef, Eazy-E, Young Pappy, Lud Foe, and Soulja Boy as musical influences. His early environment in Arlington shaped the local rap career that he began developing during his teenage years.

McIntyre began rapping in 2014 as a member of Daytona Boyz, alongside Pimpyz and Santana Sage. The group released its first track, "Drift," on SoundCloud on December 25, 2014, and performed at local parties while building a presence in the Arlington rap scene. McIntyre released his first solo track, "Biff Xannen," in August 2015, followed by "Sly Cooper" in September of that year.

His 2016 SoundCloud release "Megaman" and other recordings gained attention after his arrest on capital murder charges. While incarcerated, he released the mixtape Santana World, which entered the Billboard 200. The project was later re-released by 88 Classic and RCA Records with an updated version of "The Race" featuring 21 Savage and Young Nudy.

McIntyre was also featured on "Hard," a No Jumper single with BlocBoy JB. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

"The Race" became Tay-K's breakthrough song in 2017. He recorded it in New Jersey while evading authorities after cutting off his ankle monitor during house arrest, and the song described his flight from police and his pending legal cases. Its music video was released on YouTube on June 30, 2017, the same day he was captured by U.S. marshals in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

The song debuted at number 70 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 before peaking at number 44. It was certified platinum by the RIAA, and its popularity was amplified by an online campaign using the hashtag "#FreeTayK." The song was later remixed by artists including Tyga, Lil Yachty, YBN Nahmir, Fetty Wap, and Rico Nasty.

"The Race" also became part of the legal history surrounding McIntyre. The song, which was written while he was on the run, was introduced as evidence during the sentencing phase of his 2019 murder trial.

In 2016, McIntyre was charged in connection with a Mansfield, Texas, home invasion that resulted in the death of Ethan Walker. He was released to house arrest in January 2017 while awaiting proceedings, but on March 27, 2017, he and Jalen Bell cut off their ankle monitors and fled. McIntyre was captured in Elizabeth, New Jersey, after about three months on the run.

In July 2019, McIntyre pleaded guilty to two aggravated robbery counts connected to the Mansfield case. A jury found him guilty of murder and a third aggravated robbery count in Walker's death. He received a 55-year sentence for murder, with the robbery sentences running concurrently, and became eligible for parole after serving 28 years.

While he was fleeing from the authorities in 2017, McIntyre was also involved in the shooting death of Mark Anthony Saldivar in San Antonio, Texas. McIntyre was convicted of the lesser offense of murder in April 2025 and received an 80-year prison sentence. His criminal status is incarcerated.