Joshua Rayborn, a father of two and rising hip-hop star, was shot to death Monday night outside his home in the Bridgeport neighborhood on the South Side.
When he wasn’t home with his wife and two kids, Joshua Rayborn performed hip-hop under the name Rate YK. | Facebook
The 28-year-old was standing on the sidewalk in front of his apartment in the 2900 block of South Arch Street at 11:34 p.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Shots were fired and Rayborn was struck in the chest, authorities said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Rayborn is married with two children, and his family was home at the time of the shooting, though no one else was injured. He performed under the moniker Rate YK.
Family members put up a small memorial outside the building on Wednesday.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family.
The author of the page wrote of Rayborn: “My family has lost a very special person to gun violence. If you knew Josh, you knew what type of man he was. Joshua Was a husband to an amazing woman, father to Sofia and Xavier, son to Anna Rivera, and brother to Amanda Rayborn; and amazing person/family member, and friend.
“Joshua aka RATE YK was an artist and loved making music. His smile and sarcastic sense of humor is irreplaceable. He left behind a legacy that all his fans, friends and family will cherish forever.”
On his Rate YK Facebook page, Rayborn said the goal of his music was to “take listeners on a journey to see life through his eyes and what it’s like to grow up and fit every stereotype, but still maintain dreams of making it out.”
—Homicide Watch Chicago