Delusions of Helping

The Assassination of Young Dolph

Episode Summary

This episode explores the life, legacy, and tragic assassination of Memphis rapper Young Dolph. Raised by his grandmother while his parents battled addiction, Dolph built Paper Route Empire, one of hip hop’s most successful independent labels. His refusal to sign with rival label CMG, led by Yo Gotti, fueled escalating tensions—including multiple assassination attempts he narrowly survived. Despite these dangers, Dolph turned adversity into art, releasing music that referenced his resilience. The episode details the events leading to his murder at a Memphis cookie shop, carried out by aspiring rapper Justin Johnson (“Straight Drop”) and Cornelius Smith. Motivated by money, addiction, and hopes of industry advancement, their actions unleashed a wave of retaliatory violence across Memphis, including the killing of Yo Gotti’s brother, Big Jook. Beyond the personal story, the podcast examines the broader forces behind urban violence: systemic poverty, drug addiction, firearms, and cycles of revenge. It also questions Dolph’s security choices and how visibility made him an easy target. Ultimately, the story underscores both the brilliance of Dolph’s entrepreneurial independence and the tragic costs of unresolved rivalries in the rap world.

Episode Notes

This episode explores the life, legacy, and tragic assassination of Memphis rapper Young Dolph. Raised by his grandmother while his parents battled addiction, Dolph built Paper Route Empire, one of hip hop’s most successful independent labels. His refusal to sign with rival label CMG, led by Yo Gotti, fueled escalating tensions—including multiple assassination attempts he narrowly survived. Despite these dangers, Dolph turned adversity into art, releasing music that referenced his resilience.

The episode details the events leading to his murder at a Memphis cookie shop, carried out by aspiring rapper Justin Johnson (“Straight Drop”) and Cornelius Smith. Motivated by money, addiction, and hopes of industry advancement, their actions unleashed a wave of retaliatory violence across Memphis, including the killing of Yo Gotti’s brother, Big Jook.

Beyond the personal story, the podcast examines the broader forces behind urban violence: systemic poverty, drug addiction, firearms, and cycles of revenge. It also questions Dolph’s security choices and how visibility made him an easy target. Ultimately, the story underscores both the brilliance of Dolph’s entrepreneurial independence and the tragic costs of unresolved rivalries in the rap world.

Key Points

• Young Dolph grew up in South Memphis with crack-addicted parents, was raised by his grandmother, and built a successful independent record label called Paper Route Empire.
• The assassination was primarily motivated by beef with another Memphis label, CMG, led by Yo Gotti who wanted to sign Young Dolph but was rejected, leading to escalating tensions.
• CMG leadership allegedly offered $100,000 bounties for killing Young Dolph and $50,000 for other Paper Route Empire artists, creating incentives for violence among street-level criminals.
• Young Dolph survived two previous assassination attempts - one in Charlotte where assailants fired 100 shots at his SUV, and another at a Los Angeles hotel where he was critically wounded.
• After each assassination attempt, Young Dolph turned adversity into opportunity by performing the same night and releasing albums referencing the incidents, including songs "100 Shots" and "While You're Here."
• The actual assassination occurred during a Thanksgiving turkey drive in Memphis when Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith spotted Young Dolph at a cookie shop and gunned him down.
• The killers were motivated by money and career advancement - Justin Johnson (aka "Straight Drop") wanted to get signed to CMG, while Cornelius Smith needed money for his pill addiction.
• The murder triggered a cycle of retaliatory violence in Memphis with potentially over 10 subsequent killings, including Big Jook (Yo Gotti's brother) who allegedly orchestrated the hit.
• The transcript identifies several factors contributing to urban violence: poverty, drug addiction, intoxicants mixed with firearms, willingness to "crash out" for small amounts of money, and cycles of retribution.
• Young Dolph's security decisions were questioned, including hiring his brother as security rather than professionals and driving in a distinctive camo-wrapped Corvette that made him easily identifiable.