Tay-K owes much of his success to the release of his viral hit song “The Race.” Tay-K filmed the visual for the song while a fugitive, and released it upon his capture by U.S. Marshalls in late June.
The music video currently has 71 million views on YouTube, and 13.9 million streams on SoundCloud.
It was, in fact, Tay-K’s 16-year-old manager Ezra Averill who gave the green light to release the song’s music video.
“We hadn’t planned on dropping ‘The Race’ for a while,” Mr. Averill told The New York Times, “but when I saw that he was blowing up on Twitter, I was like, I just have to drop this.”
Though the song generated a buzz most underground artists can only dream of, it may not work in Tay-K’s favor when it comes to fighting his cases. Tay-K openly mocks the law in a “catch-me-if-you-can” manner.
Tay-K was placed on house arrest for his role in a deadly July 2016 home invasion robbery. He was certified to stand trial as an adult for the crime in late August.
Tay-K is going to have a difficult time fighting his cases with lyrics like, “I woke up too moody, who gon’ die today? Shoot a f*ck boy in his motherf*****g face.”
Tay-K also speaks on robbing people, rapping, “We was plottin, y’all was tryna get the pack in/Get the pack in, you get robbed for a fraction/I’m lilt ay-k, I don’t think you want no action/You want action, you get turned into past tense.”
Averill doesn’t want listeners to take the song literally, saying Tay-K is “a professional artist- everything’s entertainment.”
Tay-K is facing a second capital murder charge for the April 23 shooting death of 23-year-old Mark Anthony Saldivar in San Antonio. The shooting occurred while he was on the run.
The fatal shooting – captured on surveillance – reportedly occurred at a North Side Chik-fil-A at 27 Northeast Loop 410.
Witnesses reportedly saw three people arguing in the back of a black SUV on the Loop 410 access road and someone in the front passenger seat pointed a gun at Saldivar, according to the police report. Saldivar got out of the car and started yelling for help, then stood in front of the SUV. The driver accelerated at Saldivar, but Saldivar held onto the SUV as it swerved, then jumped onto the vehicle after it pulled into the Chik-fil-A parking lot and began kicking the windshield.
The front passenger stepped out of the car, shot Saldivar once, and the four occupants, which included Tay-K, drove off. The identities of the other three suspects are not known at this time.
Police found Saldivar’s body in the restaurant’s parking lot with loose marijuana in his mouth and a bag of the drug underneath him.
Tay-K is accused of being involved in the crime while on the run. Tay-K was placed on house arrest for his role in a deadly home invasion robbery in July 2016. He cut off his ankle monitor in March and remained a fugitive until he was finally captured in late June in New Jersey.
Tay-K can face a possible death penalty for that charge as well.
Tay-K has yet to be officially charged in that case. The “The Race” rapper, however, has been officially certified to stand trial as an adult on charges of capital murder and aggravated robbery.
Tay-K’s first capital murder charge stems from the July 26, 2016 home invasion robbery and murder of Ethan Walker in Mansfield, TX. He was one of seven people charged in connection with the robbery and slaying.
Tay-K and other suspects used two women to gain entry into Walker’s home, the Star-Telegram reports.
On the night of Monday, July 25, 2016, Megan Holt, 19, and Ariana Bharrat, 20, and an unnamed woman drove to Walker’s home to smoke marijuana. A total of three residents were at the home.
Bharrat and Holt began “acting weird, going in and out of the room,” the unnamed witness stated in an affidavit. Holt went to the kitchen to get a drink of water three times in 20 minutes.
The witness could see a group text message of “hit a lick” and “is it a go” on Bharrat’s phone. Holt’s name was also reportedly in the group text. “Hit a lick” means to rob a person or burglarize a home.
It wasn’t long before a group that included Tay-K, 17, Latharian Merritt, 22, Sean Robinson, 22, charged into the home with weapons. A resident told authorities he believes one of the women unlocked the front door.
The home invaders stole drugs and money. Walker was shot as the robbers ran out the front door and later died from his injury at John Peter Smith Hospital In Fort Worth, TX.
The resident who let the women into the house was shot in the shoulder when he fought with a robber. A third resident was injured and treated at the scene.
The three women fled the house behind the robbers and drove away in Holt’s car.
Holt and Bharrat were arrested on July 27 and July 28, 2016, respectively. The two women face a charge of capital murder, and are being held on $500,000 in Tarrant County Jail.
Merritt was arrested on Aug. 3, 2016 and being held at $145,000 bail. He faces a capital murder charge.
Robinson was arrested Aug. 11, 2016 and being held on $800,000. He faces a charge of capital murder, attempted capital murder and two counts of aggravated robbery.
Four juveniles, including Tay-K, were also arrested. A teen girl was the first juvenile arrested, and ordered released on house arrest. Prosecutors attempted to have the girl certified as an adult in the case, but were unsuccessful.
Tay-K’s aggravated robbery charge stems from the alleged beating of an elderly man. Tay-K is accused of brutally beating 65-year-old Skip Pepe near his home Thursday, May 25 after 11 a.m. in Arlington, TX, NBC 5 reports.
Pepe was walking through the Cravens Park when Tay-K allegedly approached him from behind.
“I walk like six, seven miles a day, four, five days a week,” Pepe told NBC 5. “And I hear just behind me a faint voice, ‘Give me your wallet.’”
“I looked over, and sure enough, he’s got a gun pointed at me toward my head,” Pepe said.
Pepe told authorities that Tay-K – wearing a gray or white shirt and unknown color basketball shorts – was armed with a small snub-nosed black revolver.
Pepe refused to hand over his wallet and was knocked unconscious by the robber, Star-Telegram reports.
“The whole time he had his arm extended and holding the gun sideways like that, saying, ‘Give me your wallet,’” he remembered.
Pepe identified Tay-K in a photo lineup for detectives. He again identified the rapper during an interview with NBC.
“Oh yeah,” Pepe said when shown McIntyre’s photo. “That’s the one who pulled the gun on me and beat me.”
Pepe says he’ll never forget Tay-K’s face.
“Oh, I’ll never forget, I’ll never forget his face,” said victim Skip Pepe. “He looks like an all-American high school kid.”
Pepe said he was struck at how young and clean-cut McIntyre looked.
“Looks can be very, very deceiving,” Pepe said. “And he’s very deceiving.”
Pepe suffered serious injuries from the assault, including three fractured ribs, a brain bleed, and numerous cuts and scrapes.
Tay-K’s attorney Trent Loftin believes the “Megaman” rapper will be cleared of all charges.
He issued a statement to the press following the rapper’s hearing where a judge certified him as an adult in the cases:
“We just concluded the ‘certification transfer’ hearing for Mr. McIntyre. The judge has ruled that his case should [be] moved to the adult court based on his age (and the fact that the juvenile court will lack jurisdiction soon). The judge was very clear to tell Mr. McIntyre on the record that this decision has no bearing whatsoever of his guilt/innocence in this case. After a full day hearing with numerous officers testifying under oath, officers testified there was no evidence that Mr. McIntyre engaged in any of the violent act or possessed any weapons. Mr. McIntyre remains upbeat after this hearing. I believe once all of the evidence is presented, Mr. McIntyre will be exonerated on all of the charges. We look forward to moving ahead.”
