Stormzy Pays Tribute After Talay Riley Dies in East London Stabbing
stormzy joined a wave of tributes after Talay Riley, the Grammy-winning musician born Mark Orabiyi, died in a double stabbing in east London on 5 June. He was 35. The loss landed fast: first came the stabbing in Silvertown, then the arrests, then the messages from artists who knew his work and his reach.
Orabiyi was found with stab wounds in a garden on Rayleigh Road in Silvertown shortly after 09:00 BST and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. A second victim, a man in his 20s, is being treated for multiple stab wounds that are not life-threatening or life-changing.
Silvertown on 5 June
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murdering Orabiyi. A 27-year-old man has been released on bail pending further enquiries, while a 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have been released with no further action.
That sequence leaves the case in an active but narrowed phase. The police action has already separated those still in scope from those who are no longer being held, and the hospital treatment for the second victim means the incident remains a live criminal investigation rather than a closed arrest report.
Stormzy, Wretch 32, Oritse Williams
Stormzy commented on Michael Orabiyi’s Instagram post, saying, “I'm sorry bro.” Wretch 32 wrote, “Your brother was a gem & will be missed & never forgotten.” Oritse Williams sent “strength and prayers” to the family, and Keisha Buchanan added, “Sending my condolences and prayers, so very sorry.”
Michael Orabiyi said his brother was a “friend to many, a mentor, an inspiration, and a light in so many people's lives,” and added, “He loved deeply, gave freely, and touched countless people through his talent, kindness, and spirit.” He also wrote that the “outpouring of love” showed how many lives Talay Riley had impacted.
Joanna Yorke appeal
Det Ch Ins Joanna Yorke said, “Our investigation continues at pace.” She asked anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident to speak to police, with particular interest in anyone who might have CCTV or other footage from the morning of the incident.
For anyone who followed Orabiyi’s work, that appeal is the immediate action point: send footage, step forward if you were near Rayleigh Road after 09:00 BST on 5 June, and help police tighten the timeline around the Silvertown garden where a 35-year-old musician was found dying.
