A Tennessee man accepted responsibility Friday for his involvement in the fatal shooting of rapper Young Dolph during a broad daylight attack at a Memphis cookie shop, bringing closure to legal proceedings that began after the music artist’s stunning murder in his home city over four years ago.
Cornelius Smith Jr., 36, entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder charges in a Memphis courtroom through a prosecutorial agreement that eliminated additional charges he faced, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office. The plea arrangement resulted in a 20-year prison term for Smith.
Both Smith and Justin Johnson faced first-degree murder accusations in the November 2021 slaying of Young Dolph at his preferred bakery, situated close to where he grew up in a blue-collar Memphis community.
During Johnson’s trial, Smith served as the primary prosecution witness, leading to Johnson’s first-degree murder conviction in 2024 after Smith identified him as the accomplice gunman. Johnson received a life sentence in September 2024, followed by additional sentences for conspiracy to commit murder and illegal firearm possession as a convicted felon.
Smith provided testimony during Hernandez Govan’s trial as well, though Govan was cleared in August of accusations that he orchestrated the murder.
Young Dolph, legally known as Adolph Thornton Jr., worked as a rapper, independent record label executive and producer who was raised in Memphis and respected throughout the community for his philanthropic efforts. The 36-year-old had returned to his hometown to distribute Thanksgiving turkeys to local families when the shooting occurred.
The attack sent shockwaves through the music industry as yet another promising rap artist’s life was cut short, joining the ranks of Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G. and Nipsey Hussle.
Officials reported that two individuals stepped out of a white Mercedes-Benz and opened fire on the rapper at the bakery location. Medical examiner findings showed he died from approximately 20 gunshot wounds.
Following the tragedy, Makeda’s Homemade Cookies became a shrine honoring Young Dolph’s memory. The city also paid tribute to him during a Memphis Grizzlies basketball game and designated a street in his honor, while artists created murals depicting the rapper throughout the area.
Legal officials have described the murder as connected to Anthony “Big Jook” Mims’ desire for retribution against Young Dolph over insulting songs targeting Big Jook and the music company he co-managed for his sibling, rapper Yo Gotti. Smith’s testimony revealed that Big Jook offered $100,000 for Young Dolph’s death and smaller rewards for targeting all performers signed to Young Dolph’s label, Paper Route Empire.
During Justin Johnson’s court proceedings, a prosecutor explained to the jury that Cocaine Muzik Group (currently called Collective Music Group), a competing record company established by Yo Gotti, sought to recruit Young Dolph, but he declined their offer.
Big Jook died in a shooting outside a restaurant in January 2024. Authorities have made no arrests in his death, and he never faced charges related to Young Dolph’s murder.
In his testimony, Smith stated, “I didn’t know anything about Paper Route having no hits,” until Govan informed him about the situation. He claimed Govan recruited him to “do the hits” and planned to keep $10,000 as his portion.
However, jurors in Govan’s case remained unconvinced that he planned the killings.
Young Dolph’s death prompted an outpouring of tribute messages across social media platforms for the artist, whose songs explored Memphis street culture and his parents’ struggles with crack addiction, while sharing powerful messages about resilience and determination through adversity. His reputation as an uncompromising independent performer and entrepreneur became legendary in hip-hop circles.
Young Dolph launched his musical journey through multiple mixtape releases. His recorded albums featured his 2016 first release, “King of Memphis.” He worked with various artists on additional mixtapes and albums, including Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., Gucci Mane and 2 Chainz, among others. Three of Young Dolph’s albums achieved top 10 status on the Billboard 200 chart, with 2020’s “Rich Slave” reaching the No. 4 position.
