MEMPHIS, Tenn.- U.S. rapper Young Dolph, popularly known for his fierce independence and authenticity, died in a shooting on Wednesday inside a cookie shop in Memphis, Tennessee – officials reported.
The authorities have yet to identify the suspect involved in the shooting at Makeda’s Cookies located near Memphis International Airport.
“The tragic shooting death of rap artist Young Dolph serves as another reminder of the pain that violent crime brings with it,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland in a public statement.
Young Dolph’s relative, Mareno Myers, revealed that the 36-year-old rapper came to the town on Monday to visit his aunt, who is suffering from cancer.
“He was inside (Makeda’s), and somebody just rolled upon him and took his life,” said Myers.
Last week, the cookie shop where the rapper died posted on their Instagram when the rapper visited the shop and promoted their store cookies’ “He returns to the store whenever he is in Memphis,” said the cookie store.
On Wednesday evening, after the shooting happened, a large crowd gathered around the shop while Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis requested them to stay calm and ask them to stay home for tonight.
She did not reveal whether the other shootings that happened previously were related to Wednesday’s shooting.
A member from the city council asked for a curfew and at a certain point, Davis did not mind issuing one due to the ongoing events.
Like the hip-hop star Nipsey Hussle, rapper Young Dolph took an independent approach to enter the music industry. His Route Empire label retained influence over his music. In the mini-documentary, Turned Dirt Into Diamonds which he produced in 2018, he said, “I just got another vision for it – strictly 100 percent ownership,” and continued, “a lot of people, they can’t see what I see.”
On the tragic death news of Young Dolph, Chance the Rapper tweeted, “God bless Dolph. Real independent Memphis rapper born in Chicago. loved by millions of ppl.”
Adolph Thornton Jr, now Young Dolph, was born in Chicago and was later shifted to Memphis at 2, reported The Commercial Appeal. In a documentary, the rapper revealed that his grandmother had brought him up. The ambitious rapper wanted to clean up his parents’ life once he became successful.
