Young Dolph facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Young Dolph
Young Dolph in 2017
Born	Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. (1985-07-27)July 27, 1985 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	November 17, 2021(2021-11-17) (aged 36) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Cause of death	Murder
Burial place	Memphis Tennessee
Nationality	United States
Occupation	Rapper songwriter
Years active	2008–2021
Partner(s)	Mia Jaye
Children	2
Relatives	Key Glock (cousin-by-marriage) Juice WRLD (second cousin)
Musical career
Also known as	Dolph Gabbana Flippa Paper Route Frank
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop gangsta rap Memphis rap
Labels	Paper Route Empire Empire
Associated acts	2 Chainz Berner Gucci Mane Key Glock Peewee Longway

Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. (born July 27, 1985 – died November 17, 2021), known as Young Dolph, was an American rapper, songwriter, and business owner. In 2016, he released his first studio album, King of Memphis. This album reached number 49 on the Billboard 200 music chart.

Young Dolph's fifth album, Rich Slave, came out in 2020. It became his most successful project, reaching number four on the Billboard 200. He also started his own independent music label and rap group called Paper Route Empire. Sadly, Young Dolph was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee on November 17, 2021.

Young Dolph's Early Life

Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 27, 1985. When he was two years old, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He had two sisters and two brothers. He was also a second cousin to the rapper Juice Wrld. Young Dolph was mostly raised by his grandmother, Ida Mae.

He often said that many kids in his South Memphis neighborhood were raised by their grandmothers. This was because their parents faced many challenges. As a teenager, Young Dolph went to Hamilton High School. He also worked as a barber from age 12 to 15. Later, he started looking for other ways to earn money.

His grandmother usually did not let his friends visit their home. But sometimes, she allowed homeless friends to stay with their family. On March 5, 2008, his grandmother passed away from lung cancer.

Young Dolph's Music Career

Starting His Music Journey (2008–2014)

In 2008, his friends encouraged Young Dolph to release his first mixtape, Paper Route Campaign. When he saw how popular it was locally, he decided to become a full-time rapper. Two years later, in 2010, he officially started his music label, Paper Route Empire. He was inspired by famous artists like Master P and Baby.

That same year, he released his first major mixtape, Welcome 2 Dolph World. It was hosted by DJ Scream and featured artists like 8Ball & MJG and 2 Chainz. With his mixtapes High Class Street Music and High Class Street Music 2 in 2011, Young Dolph developed his own unique rap style. People described his voice as deep and powerful.

In 2012, Young Dolph released two more mixtapes: A Time 2 Kill and Blue Magic. The first was inspired by the movie A Time to Kill. The second was inspired by the movie American Gangster. He also worked with Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane. They released a mixtape together called EastAtlantaMemphis in 2013.

He continued to release many mixtapes, including Trappin' Out a Mansion and South Memphis Kingpin. The song "South Memphis" became very popular. In 2014, he released Cross Country Trappin and High Class Street Music 4: American Gangster. This last mixtape featured the hit song "Preach," which became famous across the country.

First Album and Challenges (2014-2017)

On February 24, 2015, Young Dolph released The Plug Best Friend. This mixtape included a remix of "Preach" with Rick Ross and Jeezy. He also released a collaboration album with Gucci Mane and Peewee Longway called Felix Brothers. In July 2015, he released the mixtape 16 Zips.

In September 2015, Young Dolph was featured on O.T. Genasis's very popular song "Cut It". In October 2015, he released Shittin on the Industry, which included the hit song "Get Paid."

In February 2016, he released his first album, King of Memphis. It was released under his own label, Paper Route Empire. The album reached number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart. Some other Memphis rappers did not like the album's title. One rapper, Blac Youngsta, even released a song against Young Dolph.

In 2017, Young Dolph released a song against Yo Gotti, and Yo Gotti responded with his own song. A few weeks later, in February 2017, Young Dolph's car was shot at in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was there for a performance. His car had special bulletproof panels, so no one was hurt. He still performed that same night.

Young Dolph used this event to promote his second album, Bulletproof. In September 2017, he was shot again but recovered. In February 2018, he released an extended play (EP) that mentioned this incident.

Top Albums and New Artists (2017–2020)

Young Dolph performing in 2017

In 2017, Young Dolph signed his cousin, Key Glock, to his Paper Route Empire label. They had met at family gatherings. In 2018, they released the song "Major". This song reached number 47 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

That same year, Young Dolph said he turned down a $22 million record deal. He preferred to stay with his own independent label. He explained, "It really was a good deal... But it's just, I see something else."

Young Dolph later made a deal with Empire Distribution for his music to be shared more widely. His September 2018 album, Role Model, was released through this partnership. In July 2019, Young Dolph worked with Key Glock again. They released their first album together called Dum and Dummer. The title was a fun reference to the movie Dumb and Dumber.

This album reached number eight on the Billboard 200 chart. This was the first time either artist had an album in the top 10. The album was produced by BandPlay, who used many different styles of beats. Critics noticed that Young Dolph showed more "songwriting range" on this album.

Later Career and Top Solo Album (2020–2021)

In early 2020, there were rumors that Young Dolph was thinking about retiring from music. He wanted to spend more time with his children. He wrote on Instagram, "Highly considering quitting the music business because I really wanna be with my kids 24/7."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Young Dolph released the song "Sunshine." He also changed the covers of his old albums on streaming services to show people wearing surgical masks. This was to bring attention to the global situation.

Young Dolph's seventh album, Rich Slave, was released on August 14, 2020. Before the album, he released singles like "Blue Diamonds" and "RNB" featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Young Dolph explained the album's title, saying, "It's the reality of being Black in this country." Rich Slave was his highest-charting album, reaching number 4 on the Billboard 200.

On March 5, 2021, Young Dolph and Key Glock released the song "Aspen." Their second album together, Dum and Dummer 2, came out on March 26, 2021. This album was a follow-up to their 2019 album. It included both solo songs and songs featuring both artists. The album's cartoon artwork was inspired by Beavis and Butt-Head.

Music Released After His Death

A tribute album called Long Live Young Dolph was announced on January 10, 2022. It was officially released on January 21, 2022, by Paper Route Empire. It included the song "LLD (Long Live Dolph)" and featured other artists from his label.

Another album by Dolph, titled Paper Route Frank, was released on December 16, 2022.

Young Dolph's Personal Life

Young Dolph had two children with his partner, Mia Jaye. He said he was quite strict with his parenting because of how his grandmother raised him. He often worked with his cousin, rapper Key Glock. He was also a distant relative of rapper and singer Juice Wrld. He found out about this family connection in 2017.

On September 26, 2017, Thornton was shot outside a store in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He was in critical condition at the hospital. However, doctors soon said he was expected to survive. He spent two weeks in the hospital recovering from three gunshot wounds. Someone was arrested in connection with the shooting, but the charges were later dropped.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Thornton started staying with his family in Memphis more often. He was known in the area for his philanthropy, which means helping others. He donated $25,000 to his old high school, Hamilton High School. He also gave motivational speeches to students. Young Dolph was known for giving out Thanksgiving dinners. Days before his death, he gave away two hundred turkeys to people at the West Cancer Center. He had planned to donate more meals later.

Young Dolph's Death

On November 17, 2021, Young Dolph was sadly shot and killed in Memphis. This happened while he was visiting Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies, a bakery he liked to go to when he was in town. Two gunmen shot him.

Young Dolph was buried on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. A service was held at First Baptist Church Broad Street. His family's cars were escorted by security and the Memphis Police to the cemetery. This cemetery was across from Hamilton High School, Young Dolph's old school.

Remembering Young Dolph

The city of Memphis decided to rename a street in honor of Young Dolph. The street was changed to Adolph "Young Dolph" Thornton Jr. Avenue. It is located near where he grew up and not far from where he was killed.

In February 2022, two Tennessee lawmakers suggested a bill to make November 17 "Adolph Thornton Day of Service." This would be a day to remember Dolph. The bill mentioned his many acts of kindness and described him as a "gentleman" who worked hard to help others. The goal of this day would be to "celebrate the memory, music, and community service contributions of [Dolph] and to encourage Tennesseans to help others."

Young Dolph's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Mixtapes

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

As the Main Artist

As a Featured Artist

Other Songs That Charted

Images for kids

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  Young Dolph in 2017

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  Young Dolph performing in 2017

See Also

In Spanish: Young Dolph para niños