British-Nigerian singer and songwriter Talay Riley has died after being stabbed in East London, prompting a murder investigation by police.
The 35-year-old musician, whose real name was Mark Yinka Orabiyi, was attacked around 9am on Friday on Pankhurst Avenue in Silvertown, according to local reports.
Emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene, but he was pronounced dead despite efforts to save his life.
Homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Command have since launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Riley’s family confirmed his death in a statement, describing the loss as an “overwhelming sadness.”
“It is with overwhelming sadness that we confirm that Mark ‘Yinka’ Orabiyi, professionally known as Talay Riley, passed away yesterday morning,” the statement read.
The family paid tribute to the late artist, describing him as a Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum songwriter and performer whose humour, generosity and presence would be deeply missed.
They also expressed gratitude for the support received from the public.
“We are deeply grateful for the enormous outpouring of love and support that we have received through messages, calls and visits over the past hours,” the family added.
Riley, who was the brother of music producer Scribz Riley, built a career spanning more than a decade in the R&B industry. He signed a publishing deal with Global Publishing at just 18 and later secured a record deal with Jive/Sony Records after featuring on Chipmunk’s 2009 single.
Tributes have continued to pour in for the late singer, with his brother Scribz Riley describing him as a mentor, inspiration and “a light in so many people’s lives” in an emotional social media post.
Other public figures, including rapper Stormzy and singer Craig David—who collaborated with Riley on his 2018 album The Time Is Now—also paid tribute following news of his death.
