Tributes pour in after singer-songwriter Talay Riley killed in east London

Talay Riley’s death has shaken the UK music world because his reach ran far beyond his own name. The 35-year-old, born Mark Orabiyi, helped shape British pop and rap from behind the scenes, writing and producing for stars including Dua Lipa, Zendaya, Khalid, Flo, Chipmunk, Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, Kehlani and The Chainsmokers.

He was found with stab wounds in Silvertown, east London, on the morning of June 5, 2026. Police were called around 9am to Pankhurst Avenue, and Riley was later discovered in the garden of a property in nearby Rayleigh Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A second man was taken to hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

Three people were arrested on suspicion of murder on June 5. A 27-year-old man has since been released on bail pending further enquiries, while a 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were released with no further action. The Metropolitan Police said the investigation remained ongoing and urged witnesses, or anyone with CCTV or other footage from the morning of the attack, to come forward.

Tributes quickly reflected the scale of Riley’s influence. Stormzy responded to a tribute post with, “I’m sorry bro”. Wretch 32 called Riley “a gem” and said he would be missed and never forgotten. Oritse Williams also paid tribute, joining a wave of messages from artists who had worked with or known him across genres.

Riley’s career had been built on steady, cross-genre impact. He signed his first major publishing deal with Global Publishing at 18, toured the UK and US with artists including Skepta, Usher and Trey Songz, and had 76,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. He was credited as a co-writer on Chip’s UK number-one single Oopsy Daisy, one of the songs that helped establish his reputation as a reliable hitmaker.

He also worked on Khalid’s Young Dumb & Broke, Flo’s Walk Like This, HER’s Lights On, Kehlani’s Out The Window and The Chainsmokers’ Who Do You Love, placing him at the intersection of contemporary British rap, pop and international R&B. Family members said he was a beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, while his brother Michael Orabiyi, known as Scribz Riley, said their last conversation had been about the future and staying positive.