Rising rapper Chief Keef's stepbrother was shot dead last Wednesday (Jan 2.) when visiting his uncle in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood, DNAinfo reports. Ulysses 'Chris' Gissendanner III was shot in the back of the head while in a car near 124th Street and South Union Avenue. Though he was taken to Roseland Hospital he soon passed away. He was 19.

Chief Keef, born Keith Cozart, currently faces several gun charges and has been criticized for his involvement in the violent gang culture of Chicago. His father Alfonso Cozart was Gissendanner's stepfather.

So far, authorities have not connected the death with the Finally Rich creator and a lawyer from the Keef camp told DNAInfo that the hip-hop star has no relationship with either his father or stepbrother.

Cozart is estranged from his 17-year-old son, but spoke highly of his stepson, telling the Chicago-based site that Gissendanner was on the right track.

"He just graduated high school, and was in college and had a job. He was a positive person," Cozart said, adding "I'm not trying to get publicity of Chief Keef being my son. I want you to focus on Ulysses. He's the one that's gone."

Gissendanner was also an aspiring rapper, going by the name YPN Bomtown and had reportedly modeled his style and persona after his famous stepbrother. The 19-year-old's manager and friend Tommy Rice predicted big success for him.

"He rapped about struggling and what he was going to do. He was going to make it big. We were going to make it big," Rice said.

The aspiring rapper's mother, Aridecy Tate, also spoke on her sons' passing, sharing his childhood nickname "Boomie" due to how big he was when born -- a whopping 10 pounds. Although her son and Keef haven't been close of late, growing up the two were often together.

"They were brothers. They used to play together, coming over to our house, getting haircuts together. A lot of brotherly stuff," Tate said.

The shooting remains under investigation.

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