Griselda Records Producer and Manager DJ Shay Dies at 48

DJ Shay collaborated with the Griselda crew years before their major label deals.

The Buffalo hip-hop community suffered a tremendous loss on Wednesday. DJ Shay, who produced for the Griselda Records crew for over a decade, died at the age of 48. According to Westside Gunn, DJ Shay was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this summer, but recovered from the virus.

"U was there EVERY step of the way," Gunn wrote in an Instagram post. "It was an honor to help your dream come true for Buffalo Hip Hop...u wanted this shit more than ALL of US, it wouldn't be a Benny [the Butcher], WSG, Armani, Conway, BSF if it wasn't for you."

Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine, who Shay first established relationships with, both posted tributes. In July 2020, Shay proclaimed "I knew 16 years ago that I had the two best rappers in the world, and today I say the same thing."

"This hurt right here," Benny wrote. "This was my mentor coach father figure all [that] I feel like somebody stole something from me."

"I'm so hurt right now," said Conway. "Idk how I'm gon pull thru unk, I been struggling all day trying to understand and grasp all this...I cry every time I think of everyone [whose] lives you impacted in some way, and how this is hurting them but I promise you I'm gon hold shit down unk!"

DJ Shay previously spoke about his start as a DJ, and the beginning of Black Soprano Family in an hour-long conversation with BeatStars.