Young Dolph: Celebrities react with shock, sadness after rapper’s death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The entertainment world reacted with shock and sadness after hearing about the shooting death of rapper Young Dolph on Wednesday.

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The rapper, whose real name is Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., was shot around 1 p.m. CST at Makeda’s Butter Cookies, a bakery in Memphis, Tennessee, according to WHBQ-TV. The shop’s owner, Maurice Hill, told the news station that Young Dolph, 36, entered the store to buy cookies when someone drove up and fatally shot him.

In a statement, the Agency for the Performing Arts, a talent agency that represented Young Dolph, said it is “shocked and deeply saddened” by the rapper’s death.

“All of us at APA are shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of our dear friend and client, Young Dolph,” an APA representative said in a statement to Variety. “The world has lost an icon, a great man and beloved artist who has been taken too soon. His dedication, drive, hard work and loyalty to all those around him always came first and he will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this most difficult time.”

>> Rapper Young Dolph killed in shooting in Memphis, report says

Other entertainers also weighed in on social media.

“Always showed love every time I seen him, this is tragic,” Chance the Rapper tweeted. “God bless his family, man.”

Gucci Mane said the rapper was a close friend, adding that his heart was broken.

Former college football and NFL star Deion Sanders, now the head football coach at Jackson State University, offered condolences and prayers.

Young Dolph released his debut studio album “King of Memphis” in 2016 according to The Guardian. The album peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Variety reported. The rapper followed up with the 2020 album, “Rich Slave,” which featured the single “RMB” with Megan Thee Stallion. That album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and was his highest-charting release, the website reported.

Young Dolph released seven albums between 2016 to 2021, most recently “Dum and Dummer 2″ with Key Glock, which peaked at No. 8, according to Variety.

Young Dolph used brushes with death through the years as inspiration for his music. In 2017, the rapper’s SUV was hit by bullets in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Guardian reported.

>> Who was Young Dolph, rapper shot and killed in Memphis?

That led to his April 2017 album, “Bulletproof” and single “100 Shots.” In September 2017 Young Dolph was shot outside a retail store in Hollywood, California, and spent two weeks in a hospital, Variety reported.

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Remembering Young Dolph. LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 24: Young Dolph at day 2 of the Radio Broadcast Center, sponsored by Sprite, during the 2017 BET Awards at Microsoft Square on June 24, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for BET) (Maury Phillips/Getty Images for BET)

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