Young Dolph, a 36-year-old rapper, was shot and died in Memphis on Wednesday, Nov. 17.
The shooting is said to have occurred at a bakery, with the owner, Maurice Hill, claiming that Young Dolph — real name Adolph Robert Thornton, Jr. — stepped into the store to purchase some cookies when he was shot and murdered.
Young Dolph’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Young Dolph was born in Chicago but grew up in Memphis, where he began rapping as he got older and released his first mixtape, Paper Route Campaign, in 2008.
With a string of mixtapes under his belt, he began to attract co-signs from rap stars like Gucci Mane and Young Thug. He got his big break in 2015 when he appeared on O.T. Genasis’ hit “Cut It,” and he released his real debut album, “King of Memphis,” the following year. Dolph could deliver a punchline and boast quickly as an MC, but he could also be brutally honest about themes like violence and growing up with parents who struggled with drugs.
Dolph’s rise was marred by scandal, including a dispute with Yo Gotti, a fellow Memphis rapper. Over 100 rounds were fired at Young Dolph’s bulletproof SUV in Charlotte, North Carolina, not long after he shared a video for his Yo Gotti diss single “Play Wit Yo Bitch” in February 2017. Despite being unhurt and even releasing a track, “100 Shots,” a few months later, the rapper was hospitalized in September after being shot in Los Angeles.
Dolph’s rap career has been unstoppable, with hits including 2018’s Role Model, Dum & Dummer (featuring fellow Memphis MC Key Glock), and last year’s Rich Slave. He also had hit singles with “Major,” which he co-wrote with Key Glock, and “RNB,” which featured Megan Thee Stallion. Throughout his career, Dolph has remained fiercely independent, delivering his albums and mixtapes on his own Paper Route Empire label.
