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It’s been almost two years since the tragic death of Young Dolph, and now the two men charged with his murder will have their day in court as a trial date was set Friday (July 14).
According to The Grio, a judge has set a trial date of March 11, 2024 for Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith for the shooting of Young Dolph near a Memphis bakery on Nov. 17, 2021. Both Johnson and Smith have pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge they’ve been hit with, but they’re not the only men charged in connection with the 2021 killing.
The Grio reports:
Jermarcus Johnson, the half brother of Justin Johnson, pleaded guilty June 9 to three counts of accessory after the fact, and he could testify at the trial.
Jermarcus Johnson acknowledged that he helped the two suspects communicate by cellphone after the killing while they were on the run from authorities, and that he helped one of them communicate with his probation officer after the killing.
During questioning by prosecutor Paul Hagerman, he also acknowledged taking possession of car from Justin Johnson. The car was not the one tied to the killing, Hagerman said. Jermarcus Johnson also identified a photo in which Justin Johnson was wearing the same clothing as one of the two shooters accused of gunning down Young Dolph the day the rapper was killed.
The other man arrested in connection with Young Dolph’s muder, Hernandez Govan, also pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder and conspiracy charges he faces. Authorities are alleging that Govan was the mastermind behind everything and actually arranged the shooting. He’s since been released on bond but police have yet to establish any motives behind Dolph’s murder.
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what prosecutors allege during the trial of both Johnson and Smith.
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It’s been a year and a half since the shocking murder of beloved Memphis, Tennessee rapper, Young Dolph. One of the men arrested in connection with his killing has taken a plea deal though he didn’t actually partake in the shooting.
According to the Huffpost, 26-year-old Jermarcus Johnson has pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact as part of a plea deal that was greenlit by Judge Lee Coffee. Authorities found that Johnson helped both of Dolph’s murderers, Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith communicate while they were on the lam following the shooting. Johnson even acknowledged that he helped one of the shooters touch base with his probation officer as part of the plea deal which will allow him to avoid a trial by jury.
The Huffpost reports:
During questioning by prosecutor Paul Hagerman, Johnson acknowledged taking possession of car a from shooting suspect Justin Johnson, his half brother. Jermarcus Johnson also identified a photo in which Justin Johnson was wearing the same clothing as one of the two shooters accused of gunning down Young Dolph the day the rapper was killed. Hagerman said Johnson had no role in the actual killing of Young Dolph.
Johnson was one of four men charged in a conspiracy indictment stemming from the November 2021 killing of Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr. Johnson is the first person to plead guilty or be convicted in the shooting, which rattled Memphis and shook the entertainment world.
After getting picked up by authorities, Jermarcus Johnson was initially charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for helping Justin Johnson hide out and allude authorities after Johnson and Smith gunned down Young Dolph at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies bakery in November of 2021.cThough authorities allege that Johnson, Smith, and Hernandez Govan were all involved in the shooting of Young Dolph, all three men have pleaded not guilty to the charges levied against them. With Jermarcus Johnson accepting a plea deal, things just got a little trickier for the aforementioned men to be able to prove their innocence in court as Johnson can now be called as a witness in future trials of Johnson, Smith and Govan.
With his plea deal, Johnson is facing six to 12 years in prison for his participation in the crime. Sentencing is scheduled for August 10.
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Welcome back to New And Making Noise, your source for the hottest new artists making waves in music right now. In this episode, Memphis rapper and Young Dolph protégé, Key Glock, joins hosts Incognito, DJ Misses and A-Plus in the studio to talk about his latest album Glockoma 2 as he goes back on tour.
Fresh off the success of his album Glockoma 2, the first project he released since the tragic loss of his cousin and mentor Young Dolph, Glock is back on the road performing live with “bigger venues” and “more energy” than his last tour. “The energy is going to be there anyway, but we might cause a little earthquake,” he says.
Glock came up as a young artist under Dolph, the Memphis icon tragically lost to gun violence in his hometown in 2021.
The late rapper found success in creating music for his Memphis community and achieved mainstream success with chart-topping tracks like “Major” featuring Key Glock and “RNB” featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Dolph has collaborated with Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, O.T. Genasis and T.I.—all while operating his own independent record label Paper Route Empire (PRE).
Key Glock released his debut mixtape Glock Season in 2017 under PRE. Since his debut, the young artist released more projects including the first Glockoma mixtape and the Dum and Dummer joint album series that he made with Dolph.
Glock, who is still a PRE artist, is keeping the legacy of Dolph’s empire alive by setting his sights on future projects as he continues to perform and make music. “I ain’t got [the music] where I want it yet. I’m still on the music but I’m slowly but surely going to work onto other things,” Glock says.
The Memphis-born artist is not limiting himself to music. “I thought about [acting],” he says. “I’m still thinking about it.”
The young rapper also touches on the making of Glockoma 2, his favorite food, the music he’s currently listening to and his favorite piece of jewelry—his first PRE chain gifted to him by Dolph. “My first chain I ever got, my first PRE chain,” Glock says. “It was my first chain Dolph gave to me, so it’s probably my favorite chain.”
So far, the 25-year-old artist is in no rush to define his career. When asked, “What’s your proudest moment right now?” Glock candidly answers, “I ain’t got one yet.”
Listen to the full conversation with Key Glock below or here.
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On Saturday night (March 18), the New York City stop of Key Glock’s Glockoma 32-city tour celebrated the February release of his highly anticipated Glockcoma 2 album, but it wasn’t without flaws. Pain-staking patience was required to enjoy the show at the the Knockdown Center in Queens as the crew battled massive wait times switching between show openers Tia Corine, Jay Fizzle, Kenny Muney, and the headliner.
However, it wasn’t enough to ruin the overall experience. Each artist dazzled fans with high-energy performances, showcasing why they were handpicked to join the late, great Young Dolph’s independent label Paper Route Empire.
First up to hit the stage was Jay Fizzle, a cousin to the late Dolph, who appeared 40 minutes earlier than expected from the promoted 8:00 pm showtime. Those interested in watching the performance saw the ski-mask-wearing rapper perform “Standin On Top Of Sh*t” and “Hood Rich.”
By this point, plumes of weed smoke filled the air as the crowd waited 30 minutes for Kenny Muney to arrive. Dressed in a purple puffer, the rapper kicked off his set with “Ashtray” before flinging a wad of cash into the air during “Big Muney Sh*t.” He took off his coat to jump in the crowd for a more intimate performance of “Lowkey.”
Tia Corine also performed while fashionably dressed in a gothic outfit with a blonde mullet. Her set started with the hit single “FreakyT,” a fan favorite. Her voice energetically bellowed through the speakers with “FYK” until her DJ ruined her set on “Dipset.” By this time, she was noticeably annoyed but powered through during “Boogie,” “Pancake,” and “Lotto.” The set wrapped with an encore of her opener.
Key Glock’s set was a painful 40-minute wait that involved a complicated stage breakdown as a hypeman repeatedly promised he was “on his way” to the show. Just as the complaints of leg pain echoed across the crowd, the houselights dimmed, and stage lights suddenly turned on, when a focused Glizzock emerged. It was showtime.
His performance formula is simple: don’t talk too much and just let the music do all the work. To say it was a clever strategy is an understatement.
Glockoma 2’s “Chromosomes” opened the show, the first of 20 songs carefully selected from his vast catalog while cleverly themed video graphics flashed in the background. The crowd remained invested as he performed “Work,” “Bottom of the Pot,” and “On My Soul,” but pure fandom erupted when “Jigsaw” dropped. The crowd pushed closer to the stage as a giant white head darted laser beams out of its eyes with smoke. At this point, the audience joined in tandem with Key Glock as both rapped in the chorus for the remainder of his show, including on standouts “I’m Just Sayin,” “Like Key,” “Juicemane,” and “Dough.”
To hear these songs and not see Young Dolph beside him to recite his parts left a void that was felt all night. This cued Glock to take a well-timed break to pay homage to his mentor with “Get Paid,” “Preach” and “Water on Water on Water.” It was the closest anyone could get to experiencing the fallen rapper live on stage again. The crowd celebrated to pay their respects.
Finally, the show was nearing its end as “Mr. Glock” and “White Russian” whiplashed the audience back to high-energy mode, before wrapping with a closer from “Frozone” by the late Big Scarr. The crowd was pleased, proving that Paper Route Empire remains dedicated to upholding Young Dolph’s legacy by delivering high-quality performances. And they did just that.
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Memphis rapper Young Dolph was tragically and violently killed Nov. 17 of last year shocking the Hip-Hop world and, especially, his community in his hometown at age 36.
Last week, Young Dolph’s estate released the emcee’s first posthumous LP Paper Route Frank. The estate also joined Paper Route Empire, the late rapper’s music label, and the Trap Music Museum in announcing that Dolp’s legacy in Hip-Hop will be celebrated through a touring pop-up museum exhibit.
From Hypebeast:
The touring pop-up will kick off in New York City on January 13 through 15. It won’t stop there but will continue in major cities across the country, including stops in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago.
Dolph was known for his philanthropy in Memphis, particularly involving youth and the public school system. Paper Route Empire CEO Daddy-O said that the goal of Dolphland is to “showcase the character of a leader and businessman” and inspire future entrepreneurs by spotlighting Dolph’s journey.
“Dolph has a great base of fans, and he loved going out and engaging with them. We wanted to do something that still provided a way for that engagement beyond just the music,” Young Dolph’s manager Allen Parks added. “We brought the idea to the Trap Music Museum, and they were excited to help bring a dope experience to life for all who will attend.”
Tickets for the exhibit, titled “Dolphland,” will go on sale Dec. 26. Not only will ticket-buyers get to view a display commemorating the “Get Paid” rapper and his impact on southern Hip-Hop, but they will automatically be entered into a contest to win $100,000. The winner will be announced at the end of the tour.
It’s unfortunate that rappers like Dolph are given their flowers like this only after they’re gone, but for his fans, his community and his legacy, this is a good look and well-deserved commemoration.
R.I.P. Young Dolph. You continue to be remembered and celebrated.
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