Young Dolph’s children pay tribute to late rapper at memorial service
At the public event held Thursday, a month after the Memphis emcee was killed, Dolph's son said his dad trained him "to be a good man when I grow up."
The children of late rapper Young Dolph were among the family, community members and fans who spoke at a public memorial for him on Thursday.
The rapper’s private funeral was held on December 2 at First Baptist Church in Memphis.
The memorial was held just one day shy of a month after the rapper was shot and killed while visiting his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, on November 17. He was scheduled to participate in a turkey giveaway prior to Thanksgiving, when he was shot while visiting Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, a local bakery.
The 36-year-old rapper, born Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., was memorialized at the FedExForum Arena where friends, family, community leaders, and other artists saluted him as a family man and philanthropist, according to ABC News. Dolph was recognized for his frequent service and history of giving to the local community.
His longtime partner, Mia Jaye, took to the stage and was joined by their two children Tre, 7, and Ari, 4.
“I have two blessings. They both, they both embody his spirit,” Jaye said. “It’s definitely painful to not have him in our lives, but one thing I know for sure, for certain, is that he is in our hearts. He’s guiding us. He’s our angel. He’s our guiding star.”
Little Tre said that his dad “trained me to be a good man when I grow up.”
“Since he had [died], I’m gonna make it up to the whole world,” Tre added, “and I’m gonna be the greatest person you’ll ever know.”
The rapper’s daughter, Ari, said that her father is “still in my heart,” and that she will “keep thinking of him for forever and ever.”
In 2020, Mia Jaye launched a campaign through her clothing line, Momeo. The campaign, called “Black Men Deserve to Grow Old,” was created after Jaye lost her brother Jeremy Jerdine to gun violence.
Her spokesperson, Danielle Reid, told ABC News that the designer is in the early stages of expanding the campaign after “[gun violence] has hit home again for her.”
Earlier this week, the city of Memphis dedicated a street to Young Dolph, and has deemed the date of his death, November 17, a day of service in the city.
Rappers Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and T.I., all paid tribute to the slain emcee. There was also a tribute from R&B songstress Monica.
Van Turner, the head of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP, said he has been working with Jaye and other organizations to share the message of ending gun violence nationally.
“The best thing that we can do to honor the legacy of Young Dolph is to try to stop the violence in the community and make a better way for our young people,” he said.
Memphis police released photos of the suspects and their vehicle the day after the shooting. However, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation.
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