British Nigerian singer and songwriter Mark Yinka Orabiyi, widely known as , has died at the age of 35 after he was reportedly stabbed in East London.
The incident was said to have occurred around 9 a.m. on Friday on Pankhurst Avenue in Silvertown. Emergency services reportedly arrived at the scene but were unable to save the Grammy award winning artist.
Detectives from the specialist crime command have launched a murder investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal attack. His death was later confirmed by his family in a statement, where they described their grief 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 family said.
“Talay will fondly be remembered by those who knew him publicly for his incredible talent as a Grammy Award winning, multi platinum selling songwriter & artist.
For those that knew and loved him personally it is his humour, generous spirit and unmistakable presence that will be missed the most. The family also expressed gratitude for the public’s support following the tragedy.
“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. Thank you for your continued consideration and sensitivity at what is a devastating time for us all.”
Talay, the brother of music producer Scribz Riley, spent over a decade in the music industry shaping R&B sounds. He began his career at 18 after signing a publishing deal with Global Publishing, later gaining recognition through a feature on Chipmunk’s 2009 single and a record deal with Jive/Sony Records.
He went on to tour extensively across the UK and US with artists including Skepta, Usher and Trey Songz, while also collaborating with Kehlani, H.E.R., Khalid and the group 2BYG.
“I never thought the day would come where I’d be writing this, but unfortunately I can confirm that on the morning of Friday 5th June my big brother YINKA (Talay Riley) passed away.”
