Trial in broad daylight ambush case against rapper Young Dolph three years ago begins in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A young Dolph grew up riding his bike and playing basketball in a Memphis, Tennessee, neighborhood before going on to pursue a rap career that included owning the independent music label Paper Route Empire.

He became popular locally for his charitable work: he donated to local high schools, paid rent and funeral expenses for others, and distributed turkeys at Thanksgiving.

He was in Memphis handing out turkeys to families at a church when a visit to his favorite cookie shop 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 gunned down in a broad daylight ambush on November 17, 2021.

Nearly three years later, the trial for the 36-year-old rapper’s murder is set to begin Monday. Justin Johnson has pleaded not guilty and is expected to face a Nashville-area jury after a defense attorney argued that intense media coverage and social media attention would make it difficult to appoint a Memphis-based jury.

Another man, Cornelius Smith Jr., has also been charged with first-degree murder. His trial is not scheduled for Monday, said his attorney, Michael Scholl. Smith has also pleaded not guilty.

Young Dolph’s family and friends waited patiently for a trial and prayed for justice for the father of two children, said Carlisa Brown, his older sister.

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

On the day the rapper was shot, two men got out of a stolen Mercedes-Benz and fired shots into Makeda’s Homemade Cookies before fleeing, authorities say. While searching for the suspects, police released security camera photos showing two men getting out of a Mercedes and firing shots into the store.

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

Authorities have not yet released a suspected motive. Two other men 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 aiding and abetting after the murder by helping Smith and his half-brother Justin Johnson.

Jermarcus Johnson admitted to helping the two suspects communicate by cell phone while they were fleeing from authorities and to helping one of them communicate with his probation officer. Jermarcus Johnson has not yet been sentenced.

Immediately after the shooting, the bakery became a makeshift memorial for Young Dolph. Fans prayed in the parking lot and wrote condolences and messages of love on plywood covering the shot-out windows. The bakery was closed for months but has since reopened.

He was also honored by the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies during a game. Murals of the rapper were painted all over the city and a street in the neighborhood was named after him.

Known for his portrayals of tough street life and his independent approach to the music business, he began his career by releasing numerous mixtapes, starting with 2008’s Paper Route Campaign, and several studio albums, including his 2016 debut King of Memphis. He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, TI, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and others.

Three of his albums reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200, with 2020’s “Rich Slave” peaking at number 4.

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

“He didn’t want to be boxed in and pigeonholed like some of these other labels do,” Brown said. “It was about having something of his own, something that he had built and made himself, and that he could ultimately use to influence other people.”

Young Dolph was born in Chicago and came to Memphis with his three siblings as young adults. His parents suffered from addiction and moved to be near their grandmother.

“We had a great childhood and my brother always had an independent, big brother mentality,” Brown said. “My sister and I, we’re the oldest, but he always had this leadership role, like, ‘I’m a protector, I’m going to protect you.'”

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

“He wasn’t the type of kid you see standing on street corners and stuff, but he definitely had a lot of street smarts,” she said.

Young Dolph’s legacy is not only his music, but also his charitable activities, including the IdaMae Family Foundation, named after his grandmother. The charity holds an annual “Day of Service” in his honor.

“Our grandmother was the one people called to ask for help, and of course she gave it,” said Brown, the foundation’s president. “It’s something that’s innate in us, to just be able to help people and give to them. It’s something that came naturally. It came from the goodness of his heart.”

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