Young Dolph shot dead in Memphis nearly two years after his rapper cousin Juice WRLD passed away in overdose tragedy
YOUNG Dolph was tragically shot dead in Memphis nearly two years after his cousin, fellow rapper Juice WRLD, died of an overdose.
Dolph, whose real name Adolph Robert Thornton, Jr., was shot and killed at Makeda’s Cookies, where he was a regular when he was by an unknown perpetrator on Wednesday, police confirmed.
As investigators conduct a search for the shooter, local politicians are calling for a city-wide curfew to be implemented.
“I’m making the suggestion to @CityOfMemphis @MEM_Council to implement a citywide curfew tonight!! wrote Rep. London Lamar on
As fans mourn the rapper’s death, many are learning that he was related to Juice WRLD, known for his 2018 single Lucid Dreams.
Juice WRLD, whose real name was Jarad Anthony Higgins was a Chicago-based rapper who leading figure in the “emo-rap” and “SoundCloud rap” genres.
His debut album Goodbye & Good Riddance peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard 200 list with hits such as All Girls Are the Same and Lean wit Me.
Higgins died on December 8, 2019, days after his 21st birthday. He collapsed at Chicago Airport after suffering a seizure.
Upon learning that law enforcement officers were waiting for his private jet to arrive, suspecting that there were guns and drugs on the plane, Higgins had allegedly swallowed multiple Percocet pills in an attempt to hide them from police.
The star spoke candidly about his experiences with Lean, Percocet and Xanax to NME: "Drugs can ruin your whole life. If they don't kill you, they can leave you in a trance for the rest of your life."
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After his death, Young Dolph had posted a tribute to Higgins, revealing to the world that the two of them were related.
“Dam lil cuzz. i feel awkward as hell makin this post on social media,” he wrote. “The world didn’t know that u was my blood lil cuzin.”
Read our Young Dolph live blog for the very latest news and updates...
Dolph apparently didn’t know that the two were related until 2017 when Higgins’ uncle told him during Thanksgiving dinner.
“I didn’t get a chance to f**k witchu how i had intentions to do and it’s killin me.”
In the now-deleted Instagram post, Dolph expressed his heartbreak for not getting the chance to know his cousin. Eerily, Dolph asked Higgins to speak to God for him.
“Tell God to make sure he save me a spot, please.” the rapper wrote.
Now, with the news of Dolph’s own death, his relation to Higgins has caused both rappers to trend online.
“Just found out Young Dolph was the cousin of Juice Wrld, RIP man fr hope his family and friends are alright” wrote a fan on Twitter.
FAMILY'S TRAGEDY
“Fly high with all the legends we've lost, including your late little cousin Juice wrld” wrote another.
Some have shared an of Dolph speaking about their familial bond, explaining that the two didn't cross paths despite being related. "A lot of my family didn't know it because I didn't know it at first."
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A search is underway to find the person, or people, responsible for the death of Young Dolph. Currently, there are no suspects named.
“The tragic shooting death of rap artist Young Dolph serves as another reminder of the pain that violent crime brings with it,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.”
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