Photo courtesy of Money By Da Pound Records
Memphis rapper Michael “Dirty Mike” Goins was gunned down in front of his house in Orange Mound Tuesday. Police are still searching for his killer.
After being dubbed the "Freestyle King of Memphis," Michael "Dirty Mike" Goins was poised to become the latest local breakout rapper.
Goins, the 28-year-old father of two children, was gunned down Monday in front of his house in a neighborhood between Orange Mound and Sherwood Forest, according to manager Khalil Smith.
He was found dead at about 10:37 a.m. in front of 1028 Parkland Road, where he lived with a roommate.
Memphis police were still seeking his killer Tuesday, said department spokeswoman Karen Rudolph.
Money By Da Pound record label signed Goins after he won notoriety and the "Freestyle King" title on FM 107.1 in 2005, Smith said.
Money By Da Pound will plan Goins' funeral arrangements after police release his body to family members, said Smith, who is also a spokesman for the label.
A South Memphis native, Goins began rapping when he was 13, according to his biography on the label's website.
Goins, who released his fourth mix-tape, "Pay Me What You Owe Me," in June, was starting work on his first album, said Smith, who met Goins in 2009.
When not at home with his 9-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter, Smith said, Goins operated his own studio in Memphis.
