A man was found guilty on Thursday and sentenced to life in prison in the 2021 shooting death of Young Dolph, an emerging Memphis rapper who was regarded as one of hip-hop’s most promising artists.
The man, Justin Johnson, was accused of shooting Young Dolph, 36, outside a cookie shop in the rapper’s hometown, Memphis, in November 2021. The Associated Press reported that a co-defendant in the case had testified that Young Dolph’s killing was tied to a battle between rival record labels.
After just four hours of deliberation, a jury found Mr. Johnson guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and of being a felon in possession of a firearm, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
In a statement, Steve Mulroy, the district attorney of Shelby County, said the case had generated “extra public interest because Young Dolph was a prominent and beloved member of the community.”
“We will continue to fight hard to make sure that all of those responsible for his death are brought to justice,” Mr. Mulroy said.
According to the news release, Cornelius Smith, a co-defendant in the case, testified that he and Mr. Johnson had both been involved in the shooting and had been expecting $40,000 each for it.
During his testimony, Mr. Smith said that Anthony Mims, who is also known as Big Jook and is the brother of Memphis rapper Yo Gotti, whose legal name is Mario Mims, had ordered the $100,000 hit, which was orchestrated by another co-defendant, Hernandez Govan. The men were each ordered to pay Mr. Govan $10,000 for organizing the killing, according to Mr. Smith’s testimony.
Mr. Smith testified that Mr. Mims had also sought the killings of the artists at Paper Route Empire, Young Dolph’s record label, The Associated Press reported.
Mr. Mims was shot and killed outside a restaurant earlier this year, the A.P. reported.
The A.P. reported that Mr. Smith said that on the morning of Nov. 17, 2021, he and Mr. Johnson headed in the direction where they knew Young Dolph and some of the artists from his label were participating in a Thanksgiving event when they saw Young Dolph’s car. They then followed him to a Memphis cookie shop, where they opened fire, Mr. Smith said. Young Dolph was struck 22 times and died at the scene, The Associated Press reported.
The prosecutors also presented video evidence at the trial to construct their case, according to the news release.
The guilty verdict came nearly three years after the fatal shooting. Young Dolph, whose legal name was Adolph Thornton Jr., began releasing mixtapes in the late 2000s, and rapped with a heaviness and a wry sense of humor. His last solo album, “Rich Slave,” debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard album chart in 2020. Each of his last six albums (solo and collaborative) arrived in the Top 25. He had previously survived at least two shootings in 2017.
“This guilty verdict marks a significant step toward justice for Young Dolph and his family as the legal process continues for the other defendants charged in the case,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement.
The Associated Press reported that Mr. Smith had also been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder and had pleaded not guilty.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request for comment. A defense lawyer for Mr. Johnson did not return requests for comment.
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