Friends pay tribute to local music artist killed in Wilkinsburg shooting
People in Pittsburgh's rap community are mourning the loss of a well-respected rapper and producer, Mike "Tomlinese" Tomlin, who was shot and killed overnight on Sunday.
"The city won't sound the same," said Portia Foxx. "And that's what's kinda breaking my heart."
Foxx, a former radio personality at WAMO 107.3, worked with Tomlin at the station. She said Tomlin had the "it" factor.
"He was really like the triple threat," Foxx said. "He could sing, he could rap, he could produce. He was all-in when it came to his craft."
Foxx added that Tomlin was also a talented engineer at the radio station, where he exuded energy.
"He made every day coming in there fun," Foxx said. "He was just a free spirit. He did what he wanted to do."
On May 31, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office confirmed that Michael Anthony Tomlin, 32, of Verona, had died in a Franklin Avenue shooting.
"They took an energy that will never be seen again in this city," said Jamal Campbell, a friend of Tomlin since 2011. "He was truly a gift."
Campbell and other friends told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that while Tomlin was a "jack of all trades" when it came to music, he was really finding his stride in producing. He had spent some time in California working on honing his craft.
"Tomlin's a legend," said Douglas "DJ ColeBlooded" Cole, who interned at WAMO 107.3 when Tomlin was working there. "Tomlin was out here with millions of views, doing shows, putting artists on, really putting the city on his back and really making things happen for people. Like, he really gave people opportunities."
On Monday evening, loved ones gathered in Point State Park for a balloon release in Tomlin’s honor.
“It's sad that we are here for him. I never imagined. I don't want to be here for him, but I am happy that this many people did turn up for him tonight,” Kennedy Vaughn said.
“He was a beam of light. He was an amazing person. He was witty. He was creative. He could make a beat out of pencils and a can, and it would be dope. He was such a creative individual,” Myra Brown said.
Friends described Tomlin as a person who helped others tell their stories.
“If you are part of the music scene in this city, you have worked with him, and he probably made the best song you have. He's really good,” Vaughn said.
“I just want people to still support him even though he is gone because he was just that amazing. To me, is a legend in this lifetime,” Brown said.