EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A rap artist from East Cleveland, whose lyrics detailed his hometown's struggles with poverty and violence, was shot and killed Wednesday night in front of his home, police say.

Cedric Morgan, 24, performed under the name of "Lil Ced." He died of multiple gun shots to the head, pelvis and left arm outside his home in the 1200 block of East 142nd Street, according to police and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office.

Police said Morgan had been in a car outside his home before shots were fired. Officers were called at 11:22 p.m. No one has been arrested. It is unclear whether he died over his rap work. His family declined to comment Friday.

Morgan performed raps about a variety issues, including East Cleveland. In one video called "D.E.C.," he brought up violence:

"Don't come at me wrong. If you come at me wrong, bye, bye. You're gone."

Friends from East Cleveland who rapped with Morgan stressed that he was a good person who rapped about the city they lived in.

Marvin "EC Marv" Williams, 19, an East Cleveland rapper, made a song with Morgan last year called "EC Boys." Williams said he is sad about losing his friend and said he was not a bad person. The last time he talked with Morgan was on Valentine's Day, Morgan's birthday.

He said despite some of the lyrical content in his music, Morgan was not involved in any gangs and got along with everyone.

"He rapped about the city we're from," Williams said. "He took other people's situations, put them into words and made raps about it."

Emo "Moley" Mosley, 25, of East Cleveland is a producer and artist. He said he and Morgan had been friends for two years. He said they had the same passion for music and worked together frequently.

"All he was around was music," Mosley said.

DeAngelo Little, an attorney who worked with Morgan, remembered him well.

"He always seemed to be a bright, passionate person," Little said. "The bigger picture here is the message to youth: Life is precious and fragile, where as violence and negativity are destructive. This senselessness must stop."