Unknown T, one of the most celebrated rappers from the UK drill scene, has been charged with murder.

The 19-year-old, whose real name is Daniel Lena, has also been charged with violent disorder. Two other men – Mohammed Musse and Raman Boreland, both 20 – have also been charged with murder and violent disorder.

They are accused of killing Steven Narvaez-Jara, 20, of Belvedere, Kent, on New Year’s Day 2018 at a flat in Islington, north London. Another man found with stab wounds at the scene later recovered.

Narvaez-Jara was a physics and aerospace student at the University of Hertfordshire, and an aspiring pilot. A friend who set up a fundraising page for his funeral wrote he “was loved amongst his family and peers and as the Ecuadorian young man he was, he was full of life and loved a great party”. He was one of four young men stabbed to death within 15 hours of each other over the new year period.

Lena’s career took off in the summer of 2018 with the track Homerton B, which reached No 48 in the UK charts and became one of the definitive UK rap tracks of the year.

He has since released collaborations with UK acts such as AJ Tracey, WSTRN and Crazy Cousinz, and appeared on stage at London’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena as a guest of the Canadian rapper Drake.

Lena, Musse and Boreland will appear at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Thursday.

• This article was amended on 17 July 2019 because Drake is Canadian, not American as an earlier version said.