The trial of a man charged with organizing the daytime ambush killing of rapper Young Dolph at a Memphis bakery in November 2021 began on Monday.
Hernandez Govan, 45, faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and attempted murder. He is not accused of shooting Young Dolph, but prosecutors claim he directed the two people who did. He rejected the state’s offer to settle with a guilty plea last month, CBS affiliate WREG reported.
Young Dolph, whose legal name is Adolph Thornton Jr., was a rapper, independent label owner and producer who grew up in Memphis and was admired in the city for his charitable works. The 36-year-old was in his hometown to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys to families when his visit to his favorite cookie shop turned into an attack that shocked the entertainment world.
Mark Weber/Daily Memphian via AP, Pool
City officials and community activists pointed to the killing as a symbol of the dangers of gun violence in Memphis, where more than 300 homicides were reported that year.
Memphis prosecutors have portrayed the killing as part an effort by Anthony “Big Jook” Mims to get revenge on Young Dolph for diss tracks aimed at Big Jook and the record label he helped run for his brother, Yo Gotti.
Big Jook was shot and killed outside a restaurant earlier this year.
Testifying against Govan on Monday was Cornelius Smith Jr., who has admitted to being one of the two shooters who ambushed Young Dolph. Smith previously was the main witness against Justin Johnson, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2024 after Smith named him as the second shooter. Smith had previously testified that Big Jook put out a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph, as well as smaller bounties on all the artists at Young Dolph’s record label, Paper Route Empire.
Smith is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder but has pleaded not guilty and does not yet have a trial date. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in September 2024. He was later sentenced for two other convictions from the trial: conspiracy to commit murder and being a felon in possession of a gun.
Smith testified on Monday that “I didn’t know anything about Paper Route having no hits,” before Govan told him about them. He said Govan hired him to “do the hits” and was going to take $10,000 as his cut. Govan was also the person who told him and Johnson that Young Dolph would be in Memphis for the volunteer event, so “that’s our opportunity,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, Govan’s defense attorney, Manny Arora, tried to paint Smith as an unreliable witness who would say anything to try to get a lighter sentence.
Arora pointed to previous testimony where Smith recalled a chance encounter with Big Jook. At the time, Smith implied that Big Jook was the person who hired him. After Smith was arrested, his attorney called Big Jook’s attorney and received somewhere between $38,000 and $50,000 in cash. Smith said Monday that he did not know who had supplied the money.
Smith also testified that he previously heard that Govan might be working with the FBI. Arora asked why Smith would take a job from Govan if that were the case. Smith said that Govan was “innocent until proven guilty.”
Young Dolph began his career by releasing numerous mixtapes. His studio albums include his 2016 debut, “King of Memphis.” He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others. Young Dolph had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020′s “Rich Slave” peaking at No. 4.
He was among the musical stars that The Grammy Awards paid tribute to during its memoriam segment at the 2022 awards.
In a 2024 interview with The Associated Press, Carlisa Brown, Young Dolph’s sister, called her brother’s killing a “very senseless murder” and added that his family wants everyone involved to get the justice they deserve.
The attack that killed the rapper wasn’t the first time he was targeted. In 2017, Young Dolph was approached by three men and shot over “beef,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was critically injured but survived. Earlier that same year, he was involved in another shooting, where at least 100 bullets were fired at his SUV.
