Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. (July 27, 1985 – November 17, 2021), better known by his stage name Young Dolph, was an American rapper and songwriter.

Thornton founded the independent label Paper Route Empire in 2010, through which he signed his cousin in-law, fellow Memphis-based rapper Key Glock.

[8][9] Thornton was mostly raised by his grandmother, Ida Mae; his parents experienced addictions to crack cocaine, and as a child, he would only see them every few weeks.

He recollected about the only time his grandmother caught him, saying "Grandma [was] right there, [I'm] trying to stuff all this shit in my pants, but I got on shorts...she just start [sic] yelling and screaming.

Two years later, he formally established his label Paper Route Empire in 2010, an independent record label inspired by the likes of Master P and Baby, and subsequently released his first mainstream mixtape Welcome 2 Dolph World that same year, hosted by Atlanta DJ DJ Scream with features from 8Ball & MJG, 2 Chainz (then known as Tity Boi), and in-house artists Tim Gates and Money Makkin Murda.

[15][10] With the release of mixtapes High Class Street Music and High Class Street Music 2 in 2011, Young Dolph began to develop his own rap flow, shifting away from a style similar to Memphis rappers Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG instead to a personal style described as "vociferous" with a "magnetic delivery and uniquely deep voice".

On July 8, 2014, Young Dolph released the fourth installment of the High Class Street Music series, American Gangster.

This mixtape included the song "Preach", which received nationwide fame, as well as features from Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Fiend, Trinidad James, Shy Glizzy, Trae tha Truth, Problem, and Cap 1.

[18] On February 24, 2015, Young Dolph released the fifth and final installment of the High Class Street Music series, The Plug Best Friend.

On June 30, Dolph released a collaboration album with Gucci Mane and Peewee Longway titled Felix Brothers.

On July 28, 2015, Dolph released mixtape 16 Zips with features from T.I., Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Jadakiss, and fellow Paper Route artist Jay Fizzle.

In February 2016, he released his debut album King of Memphis under his independent Paper Route Empire label, which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200.

[16] Other Memphis rappers (including Yo Gotti and Gotti-affiliated Blac Youngsta) took offense at the album title, with Blac Youngsta leading an armed group attempting to find Young Dolph in Memphis and releasing a diss track, "SHAKE SUM (Young Dolph Diss)" in response.

The next day, his vehicle was the target of gunfire in Charlotte, North Carolina, while in town for a performance at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament.

[10] In 2017, Young Dolph signed his cousin-by-marriage and fellow Memphis rapper Key Glock to his Paper Route Empire label, after the two had met at family gatherings.

[25] Reviewers for the album noted Young Dolph's greater "songwriting range", with "depths of self-loathing and despair" that were complemented by the younger Key Glock's "celebrations of himself".

[25] Rumors emerged in early 2020 that Young Dolph was considering his retirement from music in order to spend more time with his children, and was seen more frequently in Memphis.

[23] In a review on Pitchfork, Nadine Smith gave the album a 7.5/10 rating, stating that "Dolph & Glock fashion themselves in the image of pop culture dunces even if at the same time they're poised, extravagant, and immaculate—there's a casualness to their rapport and respective flows that never announces itself too much.

The compilation album contains guest appearances from PRE associates: Key Glock, Big Moochie Grape, Kenny Muney, Jay Fizzle, Joddy Badass, Snupe Bandz, Paper Route Woo and Chitana.

[27] He was known in the area for his philanthropy, donating $25,000 to his alma mater, Hamilton High School, and providing motivational speeches to students.

[47] Crowds of hundreds of people swarmed the scene of Thornton's death for hours; police had to prevent individuals from entering the area while they investigated.

The family's caravan of black SUVs was escorted by security and Memphis Police to the Calvery Cemetery, across from Hamilton High School, Young Dolph's alma mater.

"[57] On February 7, Johnson appeared in court again for "violating a sex offender registration charge" after reportedly being convicted of aggravated rape in 2015.

[62][63][64] In June 2023, Jemarcus Johnson reached a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after-the-fact in exchange for his conspiracy to murder charge dropped.

The bill listed several of Dolph's acts of philanthropy and described him as "an exemplary gentleman and consummate professional who worked assiduously to improve the quality of life for his fellow citizens in numerous capacities".

It also stated the holiday's goal is to "celebrate the memory, music, and community service contributions of [Dolph] and to encourage Tennesseans to help others.