Young Dolph was an American rapper who rose to fame in the mid 2010s with mixtapes like “High Class Street Music.” Born Adolph Thornton Jr. in Chicago, he moved to Memphis as a toddler and claimed the city as his own. Over the course of his career, Dolph became embroiled in bitter feuds with fellow Bluff City rappers like Yo Gotti. This beef likely contributed to the environment that led to his tragic murder in his hometown in November 2021 at age 36.
Origins of Dolph’s Beef With Yo Gotti
The origins of Dolph’s beef with Gotti trace back to 2014, when Dolph was an up-and-coming mixtape rapper and Gotti was the biggest hip-hop artist in Memphis. According to Dolph, Gotti attempted to sign him to his CMG record label, but Dolph turned him down in favor of remaining independent. In August 2014, Dolph discussed his decision not to sign with Gotti during an interview on Sway’s radio show. While he didn’t mention Gotti by name, Dolph made it clear he had rejected a deal from the “number one fan” who later became his “biggest hater.”
Gotti never publicly commented on Dolph’s rejection, but the tension simmered between the two Memphis rappers over the next couple years. Dolph took subliminal shots at Gotti on Twitter in February 2016, referring to him as a hater who initially wanted to sign him. That same month, Dolph dropped his debut album “King of Memphis”, a title Gotti had long claimed for himself. Though Dolph didn’t mention Gotti in interviews, many saw the album title as a jab at the Memphis OG.
Shots Fired: Blac Youngsta and Dolph
In March 2016, Gotti’s CMG signee Blac Youngsta jumped into the fray, dissing Dolph in an Instagram video and threatening to physically assault him on sight “When I see Dolph I’ma smack the shit out him, on my life,” Youngsta declared. He followed up by posting a video of himself armed with heavy weaponry and prowling Dolph’s neighborhood in South Memphis
Dolph initially avoided retaliating but in March 2016 he slammed Gotti and Youngsta in a series of Instagram videos accusing Gotti of hating on Three 6 Mafia and sending Youngsta to fight his battles. Youngsta responded in kind by dropping the diss track “Shake Sum” aimed at Dolph.
By September 2016, Gotti was downplaying the beef in interviews, while Youngsta said he had squashed things with Dolph But Dolph made it clear the beef was still on from his end.
Shots Fired: Dolph Comes Out Guns Blazing in 2017
In February 2017, Dolph poured gasoline on the fire, releasing the vicious Gotti diss track “Play Wit Yo Bitch.” Among other inflammatory lyrics, Dolph accused Gotti of being jealous of his success and suggested he slept with the mother of Gotti’s child.
Gotti finally responded with the subtle diss track “Don’t Beef With Me”, refusing to mention Dolph by name. Dolph quickly retaliated with a mocking music video for “Play Wit Yo Bitch” starring a Gotti lookalike.
The beef took a dangerous turn later in February 2017 when Dolph’s SUV was shot at over 100 times in Charlotte, NC. Youngsta associate Frederick Black was eventually charged for his alleged involvement.
Then in September 2017, Dolph was shot and wounded outside a hotel in Hollywood. Police named Gotti, who was staying at the same hotel, as a person of interest. Gotti associate Corey McClendon was also arrested and charged with attempted murder, but those charges were eventually dropped.
Dolph’s Feud With Soulja Boy
In addition to his infamous beef with Gotti, Dolph also exchanged words with rapper Soulja Boy in 2017 after Dolph appeared to accuse Soulja of exaggerating his performance fees.
Soulja responded by calling Dolph a “bitch ass” and “lying ass” artist. The two continued to throw subs at each other, with Soulja pointing to Dolph’s past shootings and warning him not to “play with me.”
While less high-profile than the Gotti feud, Dolph’s rift with Soulja Boy was another example of the icy relations between him and other rappers that may have stoked ongoing tensions.
The Tragic End of Young Dolph
After surviving multiple shootings, Young Dolph’s luck ran out on November 17, 2021, when he was shot and killed inside a South Memphis bakery. Several men have since been arrested and charged in Dolph’s murder.
In a sad irony, Gotti’s own brother, Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, was gunned down in Memphis in January 2024. As a prominent figure in Gotti’s CMG label, some speculate Jook’s murder was retaliation for Dolph’s death, continuing the entrenched beef between the camps.
While the motives for Dolph’s killing remain unclear, the lingering tensions from his feud with Gotti appear to have created an environment primed for violence. Their beef exemplifies how hip-hop rivalries can sometimes turn tragically real. For fans of both rappers, Dolph’s murder remains a stark reminder of how serious the stakes can become.
2014: The Yo Gotti and Young Dolph feud begins
The roots of the Dolph/Gotti feud began more than a decade ago. In 2014, Dolph — then just emerging as a mixtape artist — began saying publicly that he’d turned down an offer to join Gotti’s CMG record label.
Still, the Dolph-Gotti beef remained a background issue as Gotti’s star began to rise. Gotti, who got his start in the mid-90s as one of the citys quintessential street rappers, released the breakout LP “The Art of Hustle” in 2016. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard album charts, hit No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts, and quickly proved a breakthrough for the veteran MC. The album would go on to spawn a top five rap and top 20 pop single in “Down in the DM” that has been certified platinum. The record also earned the support of his peers, from Lil Wayne to Pusha T, who guested on the project, to Kanye West, who performed with Gotti during a release party in Los Angeles.
In the winter of 2016, Dolph again alluded to Gotti and his decision not to sign to his CMG label on Twitter. He subsequently released his full-length debut “The King of Memphis”, which peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard chart. The title alone was incendiary, seen as a direct challenge to Gotti’s claim on that position.
Through 2016, the bickering was largely between Dolph and members of Gotti’s camp, namely CMG-signed artist Blac Youngsta, who threw a Dolph diss into one of his tracks and filmed a video of himself prowling Dolph’s South Memphis neighborhood heavily armed. Gotti mostly stayed on the sidelines and in September of that year, in a video, downplayed any animosity between himself and Dolph.
2017: Young Dolph targeted in 2 shootings, injured in 1
At the start of 2017, it seemed possible that the whole Gotti/Dolph affair might have been a winking feud manufactured by both men for publicity. Though more likely it was Dolph’s attempt to generate his own publicity by going after the better known and more established artist.
In February 2017, Dolph reignited the feud with a diss track that took dead aim on Gotti (derisively characterizing him as “Ho Gotti”). The song “Play Wit Yo’ B****” suggested he’d been intimate with the mother of Gotti’s child.
Gotti took a high-handed approach to the track, logging on to Twitter and noting that he wouldn’t stoop to Dolph’s provocations. “I’m business partners with LA Reid N Jay Z” he wrote, noting CMG’s association with the L.A. Reid-run Epic records and Jay-Z’s entertainment management company Roc Nation.
Eventually, after more Dolph entreaties, Gotti fired back in song with “Don’t Beef Wit Me” — while still refusing to acknowledge his rival by name. Dolph then replied with a video for “Play Wit Yo’ B****” which featured a Gotti look-alike being mocked.
Soon after, on Feb. 25, 2017, while on tour in Charlotte, North Carolina, a vehicle Dolph was riding in was shot at. Allegedly more than 100 rounds were fired into the car, which was bulletproof, and Dolph was unharmed, performing a concert that night. In April, following the shooting, Dolph released his second LP, the fittingly titled “Bulletproof”, which debuted at No. 36 on the Billboard chart.
In May, Gotti associate Blac Youngsta was one of three men who surrendered to authorities in Charlotte for their alleged involvement in the Dolph shooting. According to the Charlotte Observer, “Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged Blac Youngsta, Frederick Black and Antavius Gardner with six counts each of discharging a weapon into occupied property and felony conspiracy.” Youngsta was released on bail, and charges against him were eventually dropped.
Things continued to escalate further in September 2017, when Young Dolph was shot in Los Angeles outside the Lowes Hollywood hotel. Subsequent media reports would suggest the incident was the result of Dolph’s musical and personal feud with Yo Gotti.
The Los Angeles Police Department denied to The Commercial Appeal that Gotti — who was staying at the same hotel as Dolph — was a person of interest in the investigation. A few days after the incident, Corey McClendon of Memphis was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
Yo Gotti vs Young Dolph Beef Explained
FAQ
Who put the hit out on Young Dolph?
Cornelius Smith testified that rapper Yo Gotti’s brother, Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, had put out a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph and had also put bounties on all the artists at Young Dolph’s record label, Paper Route Empire. Smith said he and co-defendant Johnson set out on the morning of Nov.
How many times was Young Dolph shot?
How much time did Young Dolph killers get?
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FOX 13 Memphishttps://www.fox13memphis.comYoung Dolph killer sentenced to additional years in prison | NewsNov 1, 2024 — Judge Jennifer Mitchell made the ruling Friday and sentenced Justin Johnson to 35 years on a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and 1…
Does Young Dolph have a beef with Yo Gotti?
During an appearance on Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning show in February 2016, Young Dolph downplayed his beef with Yo Gotti, going as far as to acknowledge the rapper as being one of his earliest supporters. “It’s really overstated,” Dolph responded when asked about the rumored tension between the two Memphis reps.
When did Young Dolph pass away?
Young Dolph was tragically shot dead in Memphis on November 17, 2021. What is Young Dolph’s ‘beef’ with Yo Gotti? Young Dolph and Yo Gotti were said to have had beef with each other for a long while before the tension ended.
Who is Young Dolph?
However, while Yo Gotti may be the most established Memphis artist to emerge this decade, he has found a bit of competition in the form of Young Dolph, a Chicago-born, Memphis-raised rapper who has also been making major noise of his own.
Is there a beef between Dolph and Gotti?
While the Dolph-Gotti beef remained a background issue, Gotti’s star began to rise. Gotti, who started in the mid-’90s as a street rapper, released the breakout LP ‘The Art of Hustle’ in 2016. The beef between Dolph and Gotti was a known issue.
What happened between Young Dolph and Yo Gotti?
Young Dolph and Yo Gotti had a long-standing beef with each other. The pair allegedly exchanged disses on tracks and in interviews. After Dolph’s death, XXL Magazine announced Gotti would be releasing a new album.
Why was Young Dolph shot in Los Angeles in 2017?
In September 2017, Young Dolph was shot in Los Angeles outside the Lowes Hollywood hotel. Subsequent media reports suggested that this incident was the result of Dolph’s musical and personal feud with Yo Gotti.