Police recover burned car that could be linked to killing of rapper and West Philly gang member YBC Dul

Abdul Vicks, a prominent rapper and West Philadelphia gang member, was driving along North Fairhill Street with a friend on Friday afternoon when another car briefly pulled up next to him and its passengers fired multiple bullets into the vehicle, killing him, according to police and video recovered Monday.

Vicks, better known as “YBC Dul,” had picked up a friend from the 5500 block of North Sixth Street in Olney around 3:30 p.m., said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.

A few minutes later, surveillance video shows that as Vicks, driving a white Hyundai rental car, slowed to a stop at a red light on the 5500 block of North Fairhill Street, another car pulled up beside him. At least one passenger appeared to fire multiple shots into the driver’s side of Vicks’ car, before speeding off, the video shows. Vicks was struck in the chest and hand, Vanore said.

Vicks’ car then reversed before driving forward. The friend, who was seated in the passenger seat, eventually jumped behind the wheel and drove the half-block back to his house on North Sixth Street. He quickly picked up another man and together, they rushed Vicks, 25, to Einstein Medical Center, where Vanore said he was pronounced dead within minutes.

No arrests have been made. Vanore said it’s not clear how many gunmen were involved or how many shots were fired. Police did not find any ballistic evidence at the scene, he said.

» READ MORE: How an 18-year-old defied the code of silence and helped convict a West Philadelphia gang

Not long after the shooting, police recovered a stolen car that they believe could be linked to the crime. The car had been set on fire and was burning in a lot on the 6900 block of North 15th Street, Vanore said. Ballistic evidence was recovered inside.

Vicks is one of the founding members of the Young Bag Chasers, or YBC, a gang based out of the Mantua section of West Philadelphia that has been linked to multiple shootings and homicides since 2019. Prosecutors estimate that, as of April 2024, YBC-related feuds left 30 people shot within just 16 months. Some victims were as young as 15, while others had nothing to do with the conflict, they said.

Vicks was a prominent player in Philadelphia’s drill rap scene, the subgenre of hip-hop known for violent lyrics that often mock shooting victims.

» READ MORE: Four of the many lives stolen by the Young Bag Chasers

Vicks was never charged with any crimes, but his songs, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, were notorious for insulting the dead — and their families — and claiming responsibility for certain homicides. His nickname was “Mr. Disrespectful.” In one video shared online, Vicks pretended to dig up an enemy’s grave at the cemetery. (He later admitted it was not an actual grave, but an unused mound of dirt.)

Vicks’ father, who asked not to be identified out of concern for his privacy, said in a brief interview Monday that recent statements posted to his son’s Facebook page were not made by him. He thanked whoever posted it “for the kind words,” but said he wanted to make clear that he has not yet made any public statements. He declined to comment further.

In recent months, Vicks had been spending most of his time in California, Delaware, and New York, according to law enforcement sources and social media posts. Just days before his death, he recorded a video with YouTube influencer Brandon Buckingham discussing the growing number of people who hated him — and the potential threats to his life.

“If I could trade and turn [time] back, and be something else,” he said, in a moment of reflection. “If I don’t make it out the hood now … Imma feel like I failed all my homies.”