Austin Peay mourns the loss of alumnus Malik Taylor
By: Brian Dunn August 23, 2025
The Austin Peay State University community is saddened by the passing of alumnus Malik Charles Taylor, a 2020 business administration graduate and digital content creator known for pop culture commentary on YouTube and TikTok. He was 28.
Taylor, of Memphis, died on Aug. 20, 2025, in a single-vehicle car crash in Concord, North Carolina, where he had recently moved to advance his career as a digital content creator.
At Austin Peay, Taylor was a dynamic and engaged campus member. As an active member of the College of Business, he demonstrated a commitment to leadership and brotherhood through his involvement in two fraternities: the Zeta Phi chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity, and the Tau Phi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
After graduating, Taylor pursued his passion for digital media, moving from Memphis to Charlotte to pursue his career as a content creator.
“Everybody stop me and say, ‘Oh why you move to Charlotte, North Carolina?’” Taylor said on TikTok. “Because I heard the Queen City needed a king. The Queen City needed a king. And before you be like, ‘Oh, I’m here, I’m here.’ Exactly. That’s why they called for me.”
He built an impressive online presence with his popular YouTube channel, “The Unpopular Party,” and a TikTok account with over 260,000 followers. He was known for his insightful pop culture commentary and humor, bringing joy to a global audience.
His fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, remembered him as “a light to everyone—always bringing laughter, joy and a warm smile that brightened every room he entered.”