Rapper Records New Album '#Monstersundermybed' Over the Phone While Serving 55-Year Sentence
Nine years after his breakthrough, Tay-K is preparing to release new music from behind prison walls, with his convictions and appeal still shaping his story
Texas rapper Tay-K has recorded most of his new album, '#MonstersUnderMyBed', over the phone while serving concurrent 55-year and 80-year prison sentences for two murder convictions, his team has revealed.
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Taymor Travon McIntyre, is currently incarcerated at the John B. Connally Unit in Karnes County, Texas. The album is scheduled for release on 13 November 2026, following three years of telephone collaborations from prison.
The project was announced on 5 November alongside a promotional trailer and a new single, 'F**K U'. It will be his first full-length release since 2017, when his breakthrough song, 'The Race', gained national attention while he was evading authorities.
Tay-K's New Album Takes Shape Through Prison Phone Calls
According to his publicity team, Tay-K spent approximately three years collaborating by telephone with producers John Cunningham, Warpstr and others.
McIntyre shares executive production duties with Cunningham and reportedly contributed to decisions about the album's sound, artwork and visual presentation.
The arrangement has prompted questions about how the recordings were completed. Although his representatives have confirmed the telephone collaborations, they have not detailed how the audio was captured, edited or mixed into finished tracks.
The album's promotional campaign includes 'F**K U', initially released on SoundCloud and credited to producers ARKMAN, 2C and Cunningham. It follows three earlier 2026 releases, 'Punch You Down', 'Everywhere I Go' and 'Erupt'.
His musical activity has also extended beyond his forthcoming album.
Features, Past Projects and Ongoing Output
Tay-K recently appeared on 'SPOTLIGHT / INNER CHILD', the closing track of Dominic Fike's album How to Quit Smoking, released on 30 October. The collaboration features a telephone conversation exploring personal growth, childhood experiences and difficult circumstances.
His previous full-length project, '#SantanaWorld', was released in 2017 while he was being held at Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth.
The record featured 'The Race', which became his breakthrough hit during a nationwide manhunt and brought him mainstream attention.
Tay-K's Two Murder Convictions and Ongoing Appeal
Tay-K recently appeared on 'SPOTLIGHT / INNER CHILD', the closing track of Dominic Fike's album How to Quit Smoking, released on 30 October. The collaboration features a telephone conversation exploring personal growth, childhood experiences and difficult circumstances.
His previous full-length project, '#SantanaWorld', was released in 2017 while he was being held at Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth.
The record featured 'The Race', which became his breakthrough hit during a nationwide manhunt and brought him mainstream attention.
Murder Cases, Sentences and Appeal
Tay-K's first murder conviction arose from a 2016 home invasion in Mansfield, Texas, during which 21-year-old Ethan Walker was killed.
While awaiting trial, McIntyre was placed under house arrest. He removed his electronic ankle monitor in March 2017 and fled, prompting a search involving US marshals.
During that period, he released 'The Race', a track referencing his efforts to evade authorities. Its popularity grew as his fugitive status attracted widespread attention.
US marshals arrested McIntyre in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on 30 June 2017. In July 2019, a Texas jury convicted him of murder in Walker's death. He received a 55-year prison sentence, although he maintained that he had not fired the fatal shot.
A separate prosecution concerned the April 2017 killing of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar in San Antonio.
On 14 April 2025, a Bexar County jury acquitted McIntyre of capital murder but convicted him of murder. The following day, he received an 80-year sentence. Judge Stephanie Boyd ordered that sentence to run concurrently with his existing 55-year term, rather than consecutively.
McIntyre is appealing the Saldivar conviction. His lawyers filed an appellate brief on 29 September 2026, challenging aspects of the trial proceedings. The appeal remains separate from his 2019 conviction in Walker's death, which continues to stand.
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