Young Dolph – 100 Shots

Young Dolph (Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., 1985–2021) was a highly influential independent rapper and the founder of the Memphis-based record label Paper Route Empire. Known for his commanding “vociferous” delivery, magnetic flow, and entrepreneurial independence, he debuted with the Paper Route Campaign mixtape in 2008 and built massive underground momentum through his High Class Street Music series.

Dolph reached national mainstream success with his 2016 debut studio album, King of Memphis, and consistently charted with hit projects like Role Model (2018) and his highest-charting album, Rich Slave (2020), which peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. He was celebrated for remaining staunchly independent throughout his career while developing other successful Memphis artists like his cousin Key Glock, with whom he frequently collaborated on projects such as the Dum and Dummer series.

On November 17, 2021, at the age of 36, Young Dolph was tragically shot and killed in his hometown of Memphis while purchasing cookies at a local bakery, en route to host his annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway for the community. His posthumous album Paper Route Frank was released in 2022.