NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 31: Young Dolph performs in concert at Gramercy Theatre on January 31, … [+]
Young Dolph, a respected and beloved hip-hop and rap musician, was killed today (November 17), according to local news outlet Fox 13. The rapper was shot outside a retail location in his hometown of Memphis, TN. He was 36, and he leaves behind two children, a son and a daughter.
The report claims the musician was inside the cookie store when a car drove by, with those inside firing shots through the windows.
This is not the first time Dolph (real name Adolph Robert Thornton, Jr.) has been targeted in a shooting. In September 2017, he was shot several times in Los Angeles, CA. He was struck with three bullets and spent several weeks in the hospital recovering. No charges ended up being filed, even though several other artists were connected to the event. Later that year, an SUV attached to the rapper was shot dozens of times.
Dolph emerged as one of the most exciting and prolific new names in the rap genre half a decade ago with his debut album King of Memphis, which arrived in February 2016. Since then, he has released seven additional albums, including collaborative projects with his cousin Key Glock and Paper Route Empire (his company, which, like many hip-hop labels, also shared compilations as a group).
The rapper made his Billboard 200 debut with King of Memphis, which eventually peaked at No. 49, a very healthy start for a new act. He went on to place 11 different projects on the ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.S. Three of those broke into the top 10, including two with Key Glock, Dum and Dummer and Dum and Dummer 2 (both peaked at No. 8) as well as his own Rich Slave (No. 4).
On the Hot 100 singles chart, Dolph appeared with two tunes, serving as a featured artist on both hits. He first reached the tally in 2016 alongside O.T. Genasis’ “Cut It,” which peaked at No. 35. That cut still stands as his sole top 40 win on the ranking. A year later, he returned with Gucci Mane and Slim Jxmmi on “Stunting Ain’t Nuthin.” Throughout his career, he also collaborated on songs with well-known figures in the hip-hop field like Megan Thee Stallion, Ty Dolla $ign, T.I. and Lil Baby.
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Before hitting big on the charts, Dolph spent years recording and releasing more than a dozen mixtapes, all through his own Paper Route Empire label.
