Michael Allen

Michael Allen, who performed under the name VL Mike, was a New Orleans rapper who rose into local visibility in the mid-2000s as part of the Chopper City Boyz scene. With a raw, street-tinted delivery and a drawl rooted in his hometown, he contributed to the group's 2007 debut and later pursued solo work, recording with notable Southern producers and collaborators. In early 2008 he released material that showed he was working toward a broader solo presence, including the single "Money In Here," which featured production and vocals from Mannie Fresh.

Friends and listeners remember VL Mike for the voice and energy he brought to his music and for the way his work reflected the neighborhoods and rhythms of New Orleans. He had parted ways with Chopper City in 2007 and was focusing on his own trajectory as an artist at a time when many in his circle believed he was on the cusp of wider recognition.

On April 20, 2008, Michael Allen was fatally shot in New Orleans; he was taken to University Hospital and later pronounced dead. His death was widely reported in music outlets and local coverage at the time. While the circumstances of his killing have received attention in the years since, what endures most in recollections is the music he made and the regional influence he briefly carried. Though public records and news accounts document the tragic end of his life, those who followed his work recall a vocalist and collaborator who contributed to the sound of his city.

Because a family-published obituary matching the name and exact date of death was not located in the available public records, this remembrance focuses on Michael Allen’s life as an artist and on the human dimension that listeners and peers have described: a New Orleans rapper whose recordings and local impact continue to be part of the city’s musical memory.