Young Dolph

Young Dolph was partnered with Mia Jaye from 2012 until his death, and they had two children together. He said his upbringing with his grandmother influenced his strict approach to parenting.

He was related to Memphis rapper Key Glock by marriage and was a second cousin of rapper Juice Wrld. Dolph and Key Glock later worked closely through Paper Route Empire.

Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. was born in Chicago and moved with his family to Memphis when he was two. He was largely raised by his grandmother, Ida Mae, while his parents struggled with crack addiction. He attended Hamilton High School and worked as a barber between the ages of 12 and 15.

Encouraged by friends, he released his first mixtape, Paper Route Campaign, in 2008. He formally founded the independent label Paper Route Empire in 2010 and followed it with Welcome 2 Dolph World, hosted by DJ Scream. Mixtapes including High Class Street Music, A Time 2 Kill, Blue Magic, and South Memphis Kingpin established his local reputation.

His music developed around a deep voice, a forceful delivery, and a strong Memphis identity. He collaborated with artists and producers including Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Zaytoven, and DJ Scream.

Young Dolph's nationwide profile grew through the 2014 mixtape American Gangster, which included the song "Preach," and his appearance on O.T. Genasis's "Cut It" in 2015. His debut studio album, King of Memphis, followed in 2016 through Paper Route Empire and reached number 49 on the Billboard 200.

The album's title contributed to tensions with other Memphis rappers, including Yo Gotti and Blac Youngsta. Dolph released the diss track "Play Wit Yo' Bitch" in 2017, and the same period included a shooting at his vehicle in Charlotte. The SUV had bulletproof panels, and nobody was injured. He used the incident to promote his second studio album, Bulletproof.

After being shot in Los Angeles in 2017, Dolph released the 2018 EP Niggas Get Shot Everyday. He continued to maintain control of his music through Paper Route Empire, later entering a distribution arrangement with Empire Distribution. His 2020 album Rich Slave became his highest-charting solo album, reaching number four on the Billboard 200.

Dolph signed Key Glock to Paper Route Empire after they met at family gatherings. Their collaborative albums Dum and Dummer and Dum and Dummer 2 reached numbers eight and 26, respectively, on the Billboard 200, with the first giving both artists their first top-10 album.

Young Dolph was shot and killed on November 17, 2021, while visiting Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies in Memphis, a bakery he frequently visited when he returned home. He was buried in Memphis after a funeral service at First Baptist Church on Broad Street.

The murder case resulted in convictions for Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith. Johnson received a life sentence, while Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 20-year prison sentence. Hernandez Govan was acquitted of all charges.

Paper Route Empire released the tribute compilation Long Live Young Dolph in January 2022, followed by the posthumous album Paper Route Frank in December 2022. Dolph was also remembered for community work in Memphis, including motivational visits to Hamilton High School and distributing 200 turkeys at the West Cancer Center shortly before his death.

Memphis approved the renaming of a street as Adolph "Young Dolph" Thornton Jr. Avenue. Tennessee lawmakers also proposed designating November 17 as Adolph Thornton Day of Service.