Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., known by his stage name Young Dolph, was shot and killed today (Nov. 17) in Memphis at local bakery Makeda’s Butter Cookies, which he frequented. Dolph was 36 years old.
According to a report by local news outlet Fox13, the shop’s owner Maurice Hill said that his employees served Dolph. At around 1 p.m., an unknown assailant drove up and shot him. No further information has been shared by the police regarding the shooting.
Dolph was a beloved figure in his community, regularly giving back to the city that made him. He was well known for giving out hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys every year, and would also hold winter clothing giveaways alongside frequent collaborator and close friend Key Glock.
What started as a fun hobby with the release of his 2008 mixtape Paper Route Campaign quickly turned into a livelihood for the rapper and his unmistakable drawl. Since then, Dolph was crowned ‘The King of Memphis’ and released collaborations with Gucci Mane, Migos and his smash-hit feature on “Cut It” by O.T. Genasis. Dolph also made minor headlines for the release of his mixtape Bulletproof, created in response to being shot at 100 times in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2017.
Most recently, Dolph released the second installment of his collaboration with Key Glock titled Dum and Dummer 2 back in March of 2021, as well as Paper Route Illuminati, the first compilation for his record label Paper Route Empire.
Young Dolph is survived by his partner, Mia Jaye, and two children, Tre and Ari.
Below, revisit Young Dolph’s exciting career with songs including 2014’s “Preach,” 2015’s “Cut It” alongside O.T. Genasis and 2021’s “Penguins” featuring Key Glock. You can donate to Dolph’s family’s non-profit, The Ida Mae Foundation, here.