Sherrod Rhyme, also known as “Poppie,” was an 18-year-old who tragically lost his life on June 16, 2017, in a drive-by shooting in the Park Manor neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. The incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. in the 7000 block of South State Street. Sherrod was standing outside when a dark-colored vehicle approached, and a gunman exited the car, shooting him in the head. He was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at 6:36 p.m. Sherrod was a resident of the Calumet Heights neighborhood of Chicago.
Sherrod was part of the "Tyquan Way" rap trio, a group that had gained local fame in the Chicago drill music scene. His murder is believed to be an act of retaliation, which is a common occurrence within the context of ongoing conflicts linked to drill music and gang rivalries. The year 2017 saw a particularly intense wave of violence in Chicago, with many young men, especially those involved in the drill scene, falling victim to such retaliatory killings. This tragic pattern often emerges from the intersection of music, gang disputes, and the social dynamics of Chicago's most vulnerable neighborhoods, and Sherrod's death highlights these dangerous realities faced by young people in the community.
Sherrod's death was a part of a series of violent incidents that involved other members of his rap group, with further killings occurring later in 2017. The repeated loss of young lives connected to drill music underscored the challenges faced by Chicago's communities in breaking the cycle of violence and providing safer alternatives for youth at risk.
