Rapper Young Dolph, a Memphis hitmaker and Black-owned music label founder, rose to prominence with 2016-2021 mixtapes before being slain in 2021; in 2026 a co-defendant received a 20-year sentence for the killing.
Cornelius Smith Jr. has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Young Dolph's 2021 killing in Memphis. He has received a 20-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal, while Justin Johnson remains sentenced to life for first-degree murder. The case centers on Makeda’s Homemade Cookies in Memphis and connections to Paper Route Empire and rival labels.