Young Dolph

Adolph Thornton, Jr. (born July 27, 1985),[2][3] better known by his stage name Young Dolph, is an American rapper. In February 2016, Dolph released his debut studio album, King of Memphis, which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart.[4][5] He was featured on O.T. Genasis' hit single "Cut It", which peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Young Dolph
Young Dolph in October 2016
Background information
Birth name	Adolph Thornton, Jr.
Also known as	Dolph Gabbana[1]
Born	(1985-07-27) July 27, 1985 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.[2][3]
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop gangsta rap
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Paper Route Empire
Associated acts	2 Chainz Berner Gucci Mane Key Glock O.T. Genasis Peewee Longway Young Scooter
Website	www.youngdolph.com

Early life

Adolph Thornton, Jr. was born on August 11, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois.[2][3][6] His family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 2 years old.[6] He has two sisters and two brothers, and was cousins with deceased rapper Juice Wrld.[7][8] On his hit track "Preach", he rapped that, "Mama always in the streets, so guess who raised me?". In his music he describes a time where his parents were smoking crack.[9]

Career

2008–2017: Early success and shootings

In 2008, he nearly died in a drive-by shooting accident and later that same year, his grandmother died from lung cancer. These incidents motivated his "wake up" call. He started making music around that time as an emotional release. In addition, Young Dolph and his fellows all complained about fake rappers telling stories about what they had never done, witnessed or experienced. His partners encouraged him to do more music after hearing his first song, even though he did it simply for fun. His first mixtape, Paper Route Campaign, was a success and confirmed his journey into the entertainment industry.[9]

In 2016, Young Dolph performed his hit singles "Get Laid" and "Cut It" live at the Royal South Central in Atlanta along with Solo Lucci and more to promote his debut album King of Memphis.[10]

In early 2017, Young Dolph was the target of gunfire in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, on February 25 several dozen rounds were fired. At least two vehicles and several weapons were involved, with rounds striking nearby residences and vehicles. By the next day, several hip-hop news agencies had begun reporting that Young Dolph was the primary target of the shooting, and that perhaps 100 rounds were fired during the attack. It was speculated that the shooting had stemmed from a rivalry between Dolph and rapper Yo Gotti, though both parties have remained silent. Young Dolph used the publicity to promote his second studio album Bulletproof.[11]

2018–present: Charting singles and top 10 album

In 2018, Dolph's single "Major" peaked at number 47 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In July 2019, Dolph released his collaborative album with Key Glock, titled Dum and Dummer. The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, earning each artists their first top 10 album.[12]

Dolph's seventh album, Rich Slave, was released on August 14, 2020. It was preceded by the singles "Blue Diamond", "RNB" featuring Megan Thee Stallion and "Death Row". Dolph explained the album's title, stating "It's the reality of being Black in this country".[13]

2017 shooting

Young Dolph was shot outside of a retail store in Hollywood, Los Angeles on September 26, 2017.[14] He was listed in critical condition at the hospital, but within a few hours doctors said that he was expected to survive.[15] He spent two weeks in the hospital to recover from his three gunshot wounds.[16] Moments after the shooting, Yo Gotti was initially named as a person of interest in relation to the shooting.[17] Yo Gotti was later cleared; his friend, Corey McClendon, was arrested for attempted murder but was released with no charges the next day.[18]

Personal life

Young Dolph has two children with Mia Jaye, an American podcast host. They have one daughter born in March 2017, and one son who was born in June 2014. He is cousins with Key Glock.[19]

Discography

Studio albums

Studio album, with selected information

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US [20]	US R&B/HH [20]	US Rap [21]
King of Memphis	Released: February 19, 2016 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, LP, download	49	9	5
Bulletproof[22]	Released: April 1, 2017 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	36	19	14
Tracking Numbers (with Berner)[23]	Released: August 24, 2017 Label: Paper Route Empire, Bern One Entertainment Format: Download	—	—	—
Thinking Out Loud[24]	Released: October 20, 2017 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	16	9	8
Role Model	Released: September 21, 2018 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	15	11	9
Dum and Dummer (with Key Glock)	Released: July 26, 2019[25] Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download, streaming	8 [12]	—	—
Rich Slave[13]	Released: August 14, 2020 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download, streaming	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected information

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US [26]	US R&B/HH	US Rap
Paper Route Campaign[27]	Released: 2008 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
Welcome 2 Dolph World[28]	Released: July 2, 2010 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
High Class Street Music[29]	Released: May 7, 2011 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
High Class Street Music 2: Hustler's Paradise[30]	Released: November 8, 2011 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
A Time 2 Kill[31]	Released: April 6, 2012 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
Blue Magic[32]	Released: November 14, 2012 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
East Atlanta Memphis[33] (with Gucci Mane)	Released: March 16, 2013 Label: 1017 Brick Squad Format: Download	—	—	—
High Class Street Music 3: Trappin' Out a Mansion[34]	Released: May 13, 2013 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	—	—	—
South Memphis Kingpin[35]	Released: October 15, 2013 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	—	—	—
Cross Country Trappin[36]	Released: April 15, 2014 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	—	—	—
High Class Street Music 4: American Gangster[37]	Released: July 8, 2014 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	—	—	—
High Class Street Music 5: The Plug Best Friend[38]	Released: February 24, 2015 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
Felix Brothers[39] (with Gucci Mane and Peewee Longway)	Released: June 30, 2015 Label: 1017 Records, RBC Records Format: Download	—	—	—
BagMen[40] (with Peewee Longway)	Released: July 15, 2015 Label: Familiar Territory Format: Download	—	—	—
16 Zips[41]	Released: July 28, 2015 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	—	—	—
Shittin' On The Industry[42]	Released: October 8, 2015 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
Bosses & Shooters[43] (with Jay Fizzle & Bino Brown)	Released: May 27, 2016 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	—	—	—
Rich Crack Baby[44]	Released: August 26, 2016 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	132	14	13
Gelato[45]	Released: February 3, 2017 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: CD, download	54	22	13
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

Studio album, with selected information

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US [46]	US R&B/HH [20]	US Rap [21]
Niggas Get Shot Everyday[47]	Released: February 16, 2018 Label: Paper Route Empire Format: Download	59	29	24

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album
		US Bub. [48]	US R&B/HH [49]
"Get Paid"	2016	—	—	King of Memphis
"100 Shots"	2017	10	49	Bulletproof
"Bagg" (featuring Lil Yachty)		—	—	Gelato
"While U Here"		—	—	Thinking Out Loud
"Believe Me"		—	—
"Drippy"		—	—
"Major" (featuring Key Glock)[50]	2018	1	47	Role Model
"Sunshine"	2020	—	—	Non-album single
"RNB"[51](featuring Megan Thee Stallion)		—	—	Rich Slave
"Blue Diamond"[13]		—	—
"Death Row"[13]		—	—

As featured artist

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions			Album
		US	US R&B/HH	US Rap
"California"[52] (Colonel Loud featuring T.I., Young Dolph and Ricco Barrino)	2015	—[upper-alpha 1]	32	21	TBA
"Cut It" (O.T. Genasis featuring Young Dolph)		35	11	6	Rhythm & Bricks
"Bling Blaww Burr" (Gucci Mane featuring Young Dolph)	2016	—	—[upper-alpha 2]	—	Woptober
"Stunting Ain't Nuthin" (Gucci Mane featuring Slim Jxmmi and Young Dolph)	2017	95	39	—	Mr. Davis
"Downfall" (Lil Durk featuring Young Dolph)	2018	—	—	—	Signed To The Streets 3

Notes

1. "California" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[48]
2. "Bling Blaww Burr" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number ten on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.[53]

References

1. Reeves, Mosi (May 4, 2017). "Young Dolph: Memphis Rapper on Life From 'Crack Baby' to Streaming Star". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
2. "Young Dolph". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
3. Carter, Brooke (May 30, 2017). "Young Dolph Net Worth 2018 - How Rich is He Actually?". Gazette Review. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
4. Hernandez, Victoria (February 29, 2016). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Yo Gotti, Kevin Gates & Young Dolph". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
5. Kramer, Kyle (February 18, 2016). "PREMIERE: Stream Young Dolph's New Album, 'King of Memphis'". Noisey. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
6. "Young Dolph talks about Yo Gotti texting him for 2 years straight, working with OT Genasis & More". February 24, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
7. "Young Dolph: Responsibilities of a Kingpin". Noisey. August 12, 2014.
8. Sha Be Allah (December 12, 2019). "YOUNG DOLPH REVEALS JUICE WRLD WAS HIS COUSIN". The Source.
9. "Young Dolph - TrapworldHipHop". TrapworldHipHop. Retrieved 2016-12-25.
10. "Young Dolph - "Get Paid"". Apple Music.
11. Janes, Theoden. "He Dodged 100 Bullets in Charlotte. Now he's rapping about it". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
12. Caulfield, Keith (August 4, 2019). "NF Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'The Search'". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
13. Mahadevan, Tara C. (August 12, 2020). "Young Dolph Releases New Song "Death Row" From Forthcoming Album 'Rich Slave'". Complex. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
14. "YOUNG DOLPH SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN HOLLYWOOD... Rushed to Hospital". TMZ. September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
15. Joseph Serna (September 26, 2017). "Rapper Young Dolph wounded in shooting in center of Hollywood tourist district; one person detained". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
16. Lee, Christina (4 January 2018). "Young Dolph, the rapper dodging death: 'I've been targeted since I was 17'". The Guardian.
17. "Yo Gotti Named as Person of Interest in Young Dolph Shooting". XXL Mag. September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
18. Jones, Yolanda; Connolly, Daniel (29 September 2017). "No charges filed against Memphis man accused in Young Dolph shooting". Commercial Appeal.
19. Ju, Shirley (October 21, 2019). "How Rappers Young Dolph and Key Glock Turned Street Smarts Into Business Savvy". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
20. "Young Dolph Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
21. "Young Dolph Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
22. "Young Dolph Announces "Bulletproof" Album To Address Charlotte Shooting". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
23. "Tracking Numbers by Berner & Young Dolph on Apple Music". Retrieved August 24, 2017.
24. "Thinking Out Loud by Young Dolph on Apple Music". Retrieved October 17, 2017.
25. "Dum and Dummer by Young Dolph & Key Glock". Apple Music. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
26. "Young Dolph – Chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
27. "Young Dolph – Paper Route Campaign".
28. "Welcome 2 Dolph World by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
29. "High Class Street Music by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
30. "High Class Street Music 2: Hustler's Paradise by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
31. "A Time 2 Kill by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
32. "Blue Magic by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
33. "East Atlanta Memphis by Gucci Mane & Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
34. "High Class Street Music 3: Trappin' out a Mansion by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
35. "South Memphis Kingpin by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
36. "Cross Country Trappin by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
37. "High Class Street Music 4: American Gangster by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
38. "High Class Street Music 5: The Plug Best Friend by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
39. "Felix Brothers by Gucci Mane, Peewee Longway & Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
40. "BagMen by Peewee Longway & Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
41. "16 Zips by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
42. "Shittin on the Industry by Young Dolph". iTunes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
43. "Bosses & Shooters". livemixtapes. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
44. "Rich Crack Baby by Young Dolph on Apple Music".
45. "Young Dolph - Gelato - Paper Route Empire".
46. "Young Dolf". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
47. "N****s Get Shot Everyday - EP by Young Dolph". Retrieved February 16, 2018.
48. "Young Dolph Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
49. "Young Dolph Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
50. "Major (feat. Key Glock)". Spotify. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
51. "Top 40 Rhythmic Crossover". All Access. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
52. "California (feat. T.I., Young Dolph & Ricco Barrino) - Single by Colonel Loud on Apple Music".
53. "Gucci Mane: Chart History (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop)". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-07-27.

External links

• Young Dolph at AllMusic