It's a tale that the music industry, as well as the urban neighborhoods, are all too familiar with: deceased rappers. And we don't mean from natural causes, but rather from gun violence. The shock wave spread throughout the entire hip-hop community when news of the shooting death of the adept rapper and entrepreneur from Memphis known as Young Dolph was shamelessly gunned down in his hometown on November 17, 2021. According to news sources, the prolific rapper made a routine stop on his way home when he entered Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies bakery on Airways Boulevard. Witnesses easily identified his camouflage Corvette as belonging to Young Dolph. He had no way of knowing that this would be his last time visiting the cookie bakery.

Born in Chicago on July 27, 1985, Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., professionally known as Young Dolph, moved to Memphis as a child. Due to both his parents' drug abuse, he was raised mostly by his grandmother, who he said was unable to keep up with him and his brothers. He felt a great deal of responsibility to care for his younger siblings, which led him to an early life of drug dealing and violence, a life he was determined to leave behind.

The Memphis Police Department has obtained video footage from a surveillance camera revealing two suspects exiting a white two-door Mercedes Benz, with their faces partially covered and each wielding firearms. According to CNN, it showed the male suspects approached the bakery while Young Dolph was inside and letting off multiple shots before fleeing the scene. The barrage of bullets ultimately led to the rapper's death. However, the question remains as to whether this was an act of gang violence or simply jealousy that became murderous hatred for a successful producer, recording artist, and real estate entrepreneur with a net worth of $3 million.

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Speculations have come forth that Young Dolph's shooting was somehow connected to another Memphis rapper, Yo Gotti. The feud is said to have begun after Young Dolph released his debut album, 'King of Memphis', in 2016, a title that was formerly reserved for Yo Gotti. One year later, in 2017, he was nearly killed at a Hollywood shooting incident which left him nursing three gunshot wounds. Although the circumstances surrounding the event could easily point to Yo Gotti and Blac Youngsta (another artist signed to his CMG label), the charges were eventually dropped.

Young Dolph also released his fifth independent studio album called Rich Slave, which dropped in August 2020 and rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200 Chart. During his career, he collaborated with famous names like Snoop Dogg, Gucci Mane, Meg The Stallion, Young Thug, among other artists. He was also the owner of his own music label, Paper Route Empire, which he used to sign many other artists.

Thornton's death is reminiscent of Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, King Von, XXXTentacion, and plenty of others who were victims of senseless gun violence in the rap industry.

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Sources: CNN, NY Times