Tried in the ambush cloud of rapper Young Dolph 3 years ago to start in Memphis

Content of the article

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Young Dolph grew up riding bikes and playing basketball in the Memphis, Tennessee, neighborhood and later built a rap career that included ownership of his music label, Paper Route Empire.

He became beloved locally for his charitable work: donations to the local high school, paying rent and covering funeral expenses for others, Thanksgiving turkey gifts.

He was in Memphis to deliver a turkey to his family at a church when a visit to his favorite bakery near his childhood home turned into an event that shocked the city and the entertainment world. Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot dead in a broad daylight ambush on November 17, 2021.

Content of the article

Nearly three years later, the trial in the 36-year-old rapper’s murder is scheduled to begin Monday. Justin Johnson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and is scheduled to face a jury from the Nashville area after the defense attorney argued that intense media coverage and social media attention will make it hard to seat a jury from Memphis.

Another man, Cornelius Smith Jr., was also charged with first-degree murder. He was not scheduled to go to trial Monday, said his attorney, Michael Scholl. Smith has also pleaded not guilty.

Young Dolph’s family and friends have been patiently awaiting the trial and praying for justice for the father of two, said Carlisa Brown, his sister.

“We want everyone involved to get what they deserve,” he said in a phone interview. “It was senseless murder.”

On the day the rapper was shot, two men got out of a stolen Mercedes-Benz and fired shots at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies before fleeing, authorities said. While searching for the suspect, police released photos taken from surveillance video that captured two men getting out of the Mercedes and shooting into the store.

Content of the article

Content of the article

After more than a month on the run, Johnson was captured in January 2022 in Indiana. Smith was arrested on an auto theft warrant involving a Mercedes.

Authorities have not released a suspected motive. Two other people have also been charged in the shooting.

Hernandez Govan has pleaded not guilty to organizing the murder. Jermarcus Johnson pleaded guilty in June 2023 to three counts of being an accessory after the fact to murder with the help of Smith and Justin Johnson, his half-brother.

Jermarcus Johnson admitted helping two of the shooting suspects communicate by cell phone while they were on the run from authorities and helping one of them communicate with a probation officer. Jermarcus Johnson has not been sentenced.

After the shooting, the bakery became a memorial to Young Dolph, with fans praying in the parking lot and writing messages of condolence and love on the plywood covering the shot’s windows. The bakery was closed for months but has since reopened.

He was also honored by the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA during the game. Murals of rappers are painted all over the city. A neighborhood street is named after him.

Content of the article

Known for his depiction of life on the hard road and his independent approach to the music business, he began his career by releasing several mixtapes, starting with “Paper Route Campaign” in 2008, and several studio albums, including his 2016 debut “King of Memphis” . .” He also collaborated on mixtapes and other albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, TI, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and more.

He has had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020’s “Budak Kaya” coming in at number 4.

Young Dolph’s desire to be an independent entrepreneur led him to create the Paper Route Empire, his sister said.

“They don’t want to be thrown away and put in a box, like when you get some other label,” Brown said. “It’s about having something of your own, that you build and create, that you can ultimately use to help others.”

Born in Chicago, young Dolph came to Memphis with his three brothers at a young age. His parents suffered from addiction, so he moved near his grandmother.

“We had a fun childhood, and my brother always had his, big brother type of mentality,” said Brown. “My sister and I, we’re the oldest, but she’s always had a leader-type role, like ‘I’m the protector, I’ll protect you.’

Content of the article

He was an artsy kid who liked to draw and hang out in Castalia Heights, a working-class neighborhood that sometimes showed Young Dolph the gritty side of Memphis that he later portrayed in his music, Brown said.

“He’s not the type of boy you see standing on corners, and all that kind of stuff, but he’s street smart,” he said.

Young Dolph’s legacy lies not only in music, but also in charitable work, including the IdaMae Family Foundation, named after his grandfather. The charity is holding an annual Day of Service in his honour.

“Our grandmothers were people who would ask for help, and of course she would,” said Brown, the foundation’s president. “It’s innate in us, we can only help people and give to people. It’s just something that comes naturally. It comes out of the goodness of our hearts.”

Content of the article