Rappers lose street cred for faking stories in their music. But what happens when rapping what you live not only labels you a “violent fugitive” but also lands you behind bars? In the case of Tay-K47, he’ll never get the chance to reap the true benefits of his musical success after a series of bad decisions landed him in prison for decades.
The tragic rise and fall of Tay-K47— real name Taymor Travon McIntyre— began in 2017 with the release of his biggest song titled “The Race.” Tay-K, who was just 16 years old at the time, amassed a global fanbase after the catchy tune went viral online.
“F**k a beat, I was tryna beat a case/ But I ain’t beat that case, b***h, I did the race,” he rapped on the song, but while millions of folks were singing “The Race” at parties and at schools, Tay-K was actually in serious trouble with the law. He had been arrested in Texas following the 2016 home invasion and murder of 21-year-old Ethan Walker, according to NBC News.
Walker didn’t have any of the drugs or money the robbers, including McIntyre, were after, according to KTVT. Walker’s girlfriend later testified that he was shot while holding his hands in the air.
After being arrested and put on house arrest, then 16-year-old McIntyre cut off his ankle monitor and fled his Arlington, Texas home. It was this incident that inspired his hit song which hadn’t yet been released. But that wasn’t all, because months later, McIntyre would find himself wrapped up in another murder case.
Tay-K was accused of shooting and killing 23-year-old Mark Anthony Saldivar in April 2017 while hiding from the law. According to court documents, an altercation between Tay-K and the victim broke out in a car with three other people. That’s when Saldivar was robbed for his camera equipment, kicked out the car and hopped onto the hood of the vehicle in an attempt to get his gear back, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
That’s when prosecutors say McIntyre and his crew pulled into a nearby parking a lot before pulling out a gun and shooting Saldivar dead. The rapper fled the scene with the three other assailants. McIntyre was finally apprehended a few months later on June 30, 2017 in New Jersey, the same day “The Race” was released.
The song was a smash hit, and after a corresponding music video, where McIntyre was even captured posing next to his own wanted poster, Tay-K became somewhat of a household name. As of 2025, the video has over 251 million views on YouTube. The record is certified platinum.
It wasn’t until 2019 that McIntyre would finally face justice for the 2016 murder of Walker. A jury found the then-19-year-old guilty of murder and three counts of aggravated robbery, according to KRTV. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
This month, details of Saldivar’s 2017 murder were presented to a second jury. And after emotional testimony from eye witnesses and Saldivar’s mother, a second jury found Tay-K not guilty of capital murder but guilty of murder, according to the New York Post.
If he were convicted on the original capital murder charge, McIntyre would have faced an automatic life sentence in prison, separate from his 55-year bid, according to KSAT. But now, he’s facing an additional sentence between five and 99 years in prison.