Young Dolph’s Death Inspires A National Call To Give Back

Young Dolph will be remembered not only for his music but for his mission to uplift Memphis, as his family and foundation call on supporters nationwide to give back on November 17 in his name.

The Ida Mae Family Foundation announced the 2025 “Dolph Day of Service” to honor the late rapper’s legacy through acts of kindness and community support.

The date marks four years since Dolph, born Adolph Thornton Jr., was gunned down inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in Memphis.

“On Monday, November 17, we’re asking everyone who loves and honors Dolph to pour back into their communities in his name,” the foundation said in a statement. “Buy a meal for someone. Support a small business. Donate coats, toys, or essentials. Volunteer with a local school, shelter, or youth program.”

“No act of service is too small when it’s done from the heart. Do it with love, do it for the city, do it for Dolph,” the foundation added.

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The call for service comes after a years-long legal saga surrounding Young Dolph’s murder reached its conclusion, though not without lingering questions.

In September 2024, Justin Johnson, known in the rap world as Straight Drop, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and illegal firearm possession.

Prosecutors alleged that Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, the brother of Yo Gotti, arranged a $100,000 contract to kill Dolph.

Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman claimed Big Jook lured Johnson with the promise of a CMG record deal, suggesting Dolph’s murder was a condition of the offer.

His co-defendant, Cornelius Smith, testified that both men were promised $40,000 each for the hit, but only received a fraction of that amount. Smith said he was paid just $800 before being arrested.

The case against alleged mastermind Hernandez Govan fell apart in August 2025 when a jury acquitted him, citing insufficient evidence to prove his role in the plot.

Another defendant, Jermarcus Johnson, took a plea deal and received a reduced sentence after cooperating with investigators.

The killing was the culmination of a long-running feud between Dolph’s Paper Route Empire and Yo Gotti’s CMG, which allegedly began in 2014 when Dolph publicly declined a CMG offer.

The rivalry escalated with diss tracks and multiple attempts on Dolph’s life, including a 2017 shooting in Charlotte, where over 100 rounds were fired at his bulletproof SUV. He survived and later released the album Bulletproof, featuring the track “100 Shots.”

Yo Gotti’s road manager, Howard “Keon” Wright, pleaded guilty to charges connected to that shooting in 2016 and was sentenced to 10 to 14 years in prison.

Later that year, Dolph was shot again outside a Los Angeles hotel. Corey McClendon, an associate of Yo Gotti, was arrested for attempted murder in that incident.

The final attack occurred on November 17, 2021, when two armed men approached Dolph inside the cookie shop he often visited while in Memphis. He was struck by 22 bullets across his head, neck, back, and arms.

Surveillance footage captured the assailants exiting a white Mercedes and opening fire. Smith and Johnson were both wounded when Dolph’s brother, Marcus Thornton, returned fire.

The suspects fled, ditched the car in Orange Mound, and changed clothes at a nearby apartment.

Big Jook, who prosecutors painted as the architect of the hit, was killed in a targeted shooting outside a Memphis restaurant on January 13, 2024.

No arrests have been made in that case, and authorities have not publicly tied his death to Dolph’s murder.

Though some justice has been served, the full extent of the conspiracy behind Dolph’s killing remains unclear. His family hopes the Dolph Day of Service will shift the focus from tragedy to impact.