Tay-K, the young former rapper who went viral in 2017 for his song “The Race,” has been awaiting trial for a capital murder charge for several years. “The Race” was recorded while Tay-K was on the run from authorities. Tay-K’s elusiveness after having his GPS monitor cut off while out on bond triggered a nationwide manhunt. Authorities apprehended the rapper in New Jersey.
After being arrested, Tay-K was charged with murder, three counts of aggravated robbery, and capital murder. His previous trial ended with him receiving a 55-year prison sentence. He is now awaiting trial for the capital murder charge after he and his attorney declined a plea deal in February. The trial is officially set to begin on February 10, 2025. New photos of the ex-rapper came from his latest court date, where the trial date was officially set for Tay-K, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre.
Tay-K, who is now 24 years old, previously expressed his disapproval at his 55-year sentence. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) last year, he argued that he played the “most insignificant” role in the crimes he’s serving time for. He also argued that if he was white, he would not have gotten anywhere near 55 years in prison. Additionally, pleaded for an opportunity at adulthood, as he has been in custody since he was 17.
As previously stated, Tay-K’s capital murder trial begins on February 10, 2025. If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. His attorneys have raised the question of bias in the jury selection process. Their client’s legal troubles have been highly publicized for nearly a decade. “The nature of the case involved a music video, and that music video is very famous and well known,” McIntyre’s attorney said. “We may need more than the average jury pool because people are familiar and may have formed an opinion.” Time will tell on if his attorney gets his request honored. These new photos of Tay-K show just how much time has passed since the public first became aware of his story.
It has been eight years since Texas rapper Tay-K was handed down a capital murder charge after a home invasion robbery and murder. He fatally shot a man by the name of Ethan Walker in Mansfield, Texas. However, after being arrested he was released on bond and wildly cut off his ankle monitor while awaiting his sentence. From there, everyone knows how the story goes. Tay-K releases “The Race” during that time period, but then, he got into serious trouble while on the run. Police said that he had murdered a second victim, Mark Anthony Saldivar, in San Antonio this time. This all leads us to Tay-K recently declining the plea deal for that latter murder case in 2017.
According to XXL, video footage surfaced this past weekend from an unknown date of Tay-K and his attorney confronting the state. In the Zoom call, the rapper is dead silent during the whole interaction with the judge. Even though his attorney did all of the responding, Tay-K certainly felt that declining the plea deal was his final decision. Clearly, he feels very sure that he is an innocent man.
He really cannot afford to take more time, especially since he is already serving 55 years for the previous debacle. After the attorney says they want to go to trial, Judge Boyd selects March 11 as the next court date. Then, Tay-K will know when the trial is put into motion. XXL says they reached out to the Bexar County Clerk’s Office for comment, but no answer as of yet. Stay with us to remain on track with this developing story.
What are your thoughts on Tay-K declining his plea deal for the second murder case from 2017? Do you think this was a smart decision, why or why not? Does this mean that he is innocent? Will he still receive time for this case do you think, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Tay-K. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the worlds of music and crime.
Presently serving a 55-year sentence at San Antonio’s Bexar County Adult Detention Center, Tay-K took to his Instagram to share a handwritten letter for fans on March 31. The incarcerated rapper also pointed out that he’s never lived outside the jail as an adult. Updated By: Nadya Nataly (4/6/23 at 3:02 pm) Long Beach, Calif. […]
After years behind bars, every glimpse we get into Tay-K’s case is a treat for longtime fans. Even though his incarceration is highly debated for many reasons, it’s still heartening to see an artist continue connecting with fans despite their circumstances. Moreover, the Texas MC recently posted a letter he wrote from jail reflecting on his journey. While he spoke of his struggles and frustrations, the 22-year-old’s words served more to inspire and provide a positive outlook.
“Yo!” he excitedly began his letter. “I’m sitting here thinking about all my fans, I love and miss y’all. I know there’s a lot that I haven’t directly spoke on and there are many things my fans know. But I’m not sure everybody else does. I’ve been here for five [and a half] years now and I feel indebted to y’all for going so crazy behind me. It’s still crazy to me that I never had a chance to live outside as an adult, I’ve been locked up and in and out of the ‘justice’ and CPS system for my whole life.
“Not sure if y’all know, but I got sentenced as an adult to 55 years in prison for a crime where I wasn’t even the shooter, I wasn’t even alleged to have a gun,” he continued. “I was never even suspected to have pulled a trigger or hurt anyone. I was young and didn’t have no positive figures around. Now that I’m older, I know how important focusing on leading by example is. I love my fans and I don’t want anyone to think I’m promoting or really recommending violence.
“That’s why I really dedicate a lot of my time in here to using the success of my music to have a positive impact on other young artists,” he concluded. “Even if it’s something small like taking a phone call or writing a letter to keep them positively inspired. Regardless of my situation, the movement is Eternal. #RR4L #FREEM3. Perpetually, Tay-K.” Regardless of his case’s status, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Tay-K.
Tay-K is best known for his hit song “The Race,” which reached No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Later, the track was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song details Tay-K’s evasion from the police after he was wanted for murder and robbery charges. He was reportedly on the run from the police for three months before he was captured by U.S. marshals on June 30, 2017, the same day “The Race” was released.
After his arrest, many fans took to social media to support the Texas rapper. This led to the release of his mixtape Santana’s World in July 2017. Despite the mixtape receiving many positive reviews, which led to Tay-K gaining even more fame, he remains incarcerated. Let’s look at the events that led to Tay K’s plight and the details behind his 55 years to life sentencing.
In 2017, Tay-K was on the run for allegedly participating in the murder of 21-year-old Ethan Walker during a botched robbery. Walker reportedly put his hands up to surrender but was killed. The robbery was allegedly drug-related, according to authorities. Tay-K was said to be one of six people who participated in the crime. The rapper was 16 years old at the time. In March 2017, Tay-K cut off his house arrest ankle monitor and went on the run for three months.
On March 26, 2017, Tay tweeted, “F*ck dis house arrest sh*t f*ck 12 they gn hav 2 catch me on hood.” It was during this time that he recorded “The Race.” While on the run, Tay-K also allegedly killed a 23-year-old man during a robbery in San Antonio. He was also accused of assaulting a 65-year-old man during a robbery in Arlington. He was charged for both incidents, but they are still pending.
Tay-K Goes to Trial
It was in 2019 that Tay-K was sentenced for the charges that led to his initial arrest. While on trial, Tay’s defense attorney, Jeff Kearney, noted his musical ability and young age as reasons for leniency. Kearney reportedly stated, “He has a chance. Let’s not throw him away. He is worthy of redemption.” The prosecution’s rebuttal was Tay K’s brash behavior while in and out of custody. They argued that he enjoyed the fame he received after killing Walker and evading the police. The prosecution also used Tay K’s lyrics in “The Race” against him, as the song allegedly showed his lack of remorse. The prosecution also showed the cover of Tay K’s 2017 EP #LivingLikeLarry, which featured him sitting on a kitchen counter with a gun.
The Defense Makes A Case
Defense attorneys also argued that Tay-K was unarmed during the robbery. They further stated he didn’t know anyone would be killed. Tay did not pull the trigger during the killing; however, he did steal money and drugs from Walker’s home. Because of this, Tay was found not guilty of capital murder, which carried a mandatory 40-year prison sentence. Yet he was indicted on other charges. Tay-K pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of murder, one count of aggravated robbery for the shooting, and one count of robbery of another man.
He also pleaded guilty to two additional counts of aggravated robbery related to other victims of the home invasion that led to Ethan Walker’s death. Tay was sentenced to 30 years for one of the robbery counts. Additionally, he received 13 years on each of the other two in July 2019. He was also ordered to pay $21,000 in fines. Tay K is currently serving 55 years to life for the murder charge. He is serving the other charges concurrently, or simultaneously.
In January 2023, Tay-K took to Twitter to ask for a second chance at adulthood. He disagreed with the court’s decision to try him as an adult and believed that his sentence was a product of racial bias within the justice system. Tay tweeted, “I bet if I was a lil white kid they wouldn’t have gave me no 55 years for a crime I was alleged to play the most insignificant role in when I was 16….they woulda rightfully argued that my mind wasn’t fully developed and gave me rehabilitation and a 2nd (1st) chance at adulthood.”
Tay-K also noted that one of his accomplices was a 16-year-old white girl who was only sentenced to 10 years of probation. “One of my codefendants was a white girl who was 16 jus like me,” he wrote. “They didn’t certify her as an adult but they certified me n pimp as adults. pimp got 30, I got 55, she ended up getting 10 years of probation without no deal…that girl @ home rn.” Despite Tay-K’s pleas, it is uncertain if the young rapper will soon see freedom. He is also still awaiting trial in San Antonio for the alleged murder while on the run.
While serving his 55-year sentence for the murder of a 21-year-old man in 2016, Tay-K’s video call with a female visitor has made its way to the internet. Tay-K can be seen checking out music played from a Macbook while on video chat with his visitor, who was showing the incarcerated rapper her new video.
Long Beach rapper Tay-K continues to tweet the world while serving 55 years for murder and his most recent message this past weekend(January 28), in which he claims that the person in the neighboring cell killed their cellmate with their food tray.
Tay-K took to Twitter earlier this month when he pointed out that he should get “a second chance at adulthood” like his white co-defendant that received ten years probation for a similar crime.
Tay-K’s tweet read, “I really just need 1 chance @ adulthood. I bet if I was a lil white kid they wouldn’t have gave me no 55 years for a crime I was alleged to play the most insignificant role in when I was 16….they woulda rightfully argued that my mind wasn’t fully developed and gave me rehabilitation and a 2nd (1st) chance at adulthood.”
He added, “one of my codefendants was a white girl who was 16 jus like me…they didn’t certify her as an adult but they certified me n pimp as adults, pimp got 30, I got 55, she ended up getting 10 years of probation without no deal…that girl @ home rn.”
Tay-K, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre. was sentenced to 55 years in 2019 after he was found guilty of death of 21-year-old Ethan Walker in 2016. Tay-K was one of six people who entered a house in Mansfield, Texas trying to steal cash and drugs, but things took a violent turn, in which Ethan Walker was left dead.
Tay-K hit Twitter to reveal how harsh prison is for him. In a set of tweets, Tay-K likened his situation to that of a hamster or ferret. “I’m @ war within,” he wrote.
Tay-K is currently serving a 55-year murder sentence and is currently looking for a new lawyer. Last year, HipHopDX spotted a call on Twitter from “The Race” rapper, who is looking to receive new legal counsel.
“The Race” rapper, born Taylor McIntyre, was charged with the shooting and killing of Mark Anthony Saldivar, 23, during a robbery in April 2017. The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office states Tay-K was 16 years old at the time he shot the victim.
Following that occasion, Tay-K was facing more time in addition to his 55-year prison sentence for stabbing a guard while in prison. If convicted, Tay could be facing the rest of his natural life behind bars.
But on his 21st birthday, Tay-K revealed that he has been making new music and has hopes for getting out of prison on an appeal bond.
“That’s looking good, too. You know, all the coming home situation and shit, I know a lot of people want to know about that,” he said on IG Live from jail. “My case on appeal right now, there’s still hope and shit. There’s definitely still a chance for me to come home on an appeal bond. … That’s what I want to happen.”
