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Grammy winning singer Talay Riley stabbed to death in London as industry pays tribute

Published 09:56 8 Jun 2026 BST

Updated 09:56 8 Jun 2026 BST

Erin McLaughlin
Grammy winning singer Talay Riley stabbed to death in London as industry pays tribute

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Celebrity tributes have been pouring in

Singer-songwriter Talay Riley has died aged 35 after he was stabbed to death in London.

The Metropolitan Police were called to an address in Silvertown, east London, at 9 am on Friday, following reports that a man had been stabbed.

Riley, whose real name is Mark Orabiyi, was found in the garden of a Rayleigh Road property, having suffered stab wounds.

Orabiyi was pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by the police. Formal identification has yet to take place, but the family is understood to be being supported by specialist officers.

In a tribute, the family described him as 'a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend’.

They continued: "He brought love, light, and joy to our family and to all who knew him.

"We will always cherish his kindness, beautiful spirit, and remarkable talent. His presence touched many lives, and his memory will remain in our hearts forever.

"May his soul rest in perfect peace."

Another man in his 20s was also rushed to the hospital with multiple stab wounds and is reportedly still there, as of Sunday evening, per Metro.

His condition is, however, not believed to be life-threatening.

On Friday, three people were arrested on suspicion of murder. According to police, a 27-year-old has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have been released with no further action, following police questioning.

Stars have since paid tribute to the songwriter, with Stormzy writing: "I’m sorry bro."

Singer Craig David, who worked with Talay on his album The Time is Now, wrote: "Sending so much love to you & the family. His beautiful energy will continue to be felt & shown from the other side."

Rochelle Humes added: "May he rest in peace. I will always remember how kind he was to everyone and his friendly smile."

Joanna Yorke, Detective Chief Inspector leading the investigation, said: "This is a tragic incident, and my thoughts remain with Mark’s family and loved ones."

Yorke added that the investigation continues ‘at pace’ and noted that the Met is appealing for any witnesses of the incident to come forward and speak to the police.

She continued: "We are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who might have CCTV or other footage from the morning of the incident that could assist our investigation."

Rapper Chip, formerly known as Chipmunk, also paid tribute to Riley and shared how he co-wrote the 2009 hit Oopsy Daisy.

Posting to Instagram, Chip wrote: "You ain’t deserve to go out like that fam. Fly high, bro.

"Your pen will live forever. What a day, man. What a life… RIP Talay Riley.

"I’ll cherish the memories forever. Prayers and thoughts go out to your family. From pirate radio and Chanel U teens to #1 and platinum. Penaliens. We did that.

"God bless you, man. Hail up all the other fallen soldiers for me up there until we meet again. Sad fam. RIP Talay (Tension) Riley…"

This Morning presenter Rochelle Humes commented: "May he rest in peace. I will always remember how kind he was to everyone and his friendly smile."

Riley, who has 76,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, toured with A-list artists including Skepta, Usher and Trey Songz, across the UK and US.

In addition, the musician had an extensive list of songwriting credits, writing tracks for artists including Tinie Tempah, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding, Wiley, Britney Spears, Khalid and Craig David.