Rapper Young Dolph fatally shot at Tennessee cookie shop

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Rapper Young Dolph was shot and killed Wednesday at a cookie shop in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, and a search is underway for the shooter, officials said.

Police tweeted that no suspect information was available in the shooting, which took place at Makeda’s Cookie’s 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,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

The Daily Memphian newspaper reported that Young Dolph’s cousin, Mareno Myers, said the rapper had been in town since Monday visiting an aunt who has cancer and was also giving out Thanksgiving turkeys.

“He was inside (Makeda’s), and somebody just rolled up on him and took his life,” Myers said.

Just last week, the cookie shop posted a video on Instagram of the rapper promoting the store’s cookies, saying he returns to the store whenever he is in Memphis.

The 36-year-old rapper was born in Chicago as Adolph Thornton Jr., and moved to Memphis when he was 2, according to The Commercial Appeal.

He released numerous mixtapes, starting with 2008′s “Paper Route Campaign,” and multiple studio albums, including his 2016 debut “King of Memphis.” He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others.

Young Dolph had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020′s “Rich Slave” peaking at No. 4.

In his music, Young Dolph rapped about being a drug dealer and life on the streets in Memphis. He recently performed at a concert at the University of Memphis and he has performed during the halftime of a Memphis Grizzlies game. He was admired in Memphis as a torchbearer to the city’s rap legends, Three 6 Mafia.

Young Dolph had survived previous shootings. He was shot multiple times in September 2017 after a fight outside a Los Angeles hotel. In February of that year, his SUV was shot at in Charlotte, North Carolina, more than 100 times — the incident was the inspiration for the song “100 Shots.” He said he survived because he had bulletproof panels in his vehicle, The Commercial Appeal reported.

Memphis officials, athletes and numerous members of the music industry posted their condolences on social media.

“R.I.P. to my friend Dolph this broke my heart,” rapper Gucci Mane posted on Twitter.

Record producer Omen also posted a message on Twitter, saying “we losing too many black men to poor health, racism, jail, etc. already. we gotta find a way to heal and not add to that with our own violence. prayers for young dolph family and friends. RIP.”

In a post on his Twitter account Oct. 20, Young Dolph said a doctor told him he needed some time to himself.

“I never knew what anxiety meant until My doctor just explained to me that I have it this morning,” another tweet posted that day said.

In an August tweet, he said: “Still can’t believe i got to where im at in life. still feel unreal.”