Man Admits He Helped Two Others Shoot Rapper Young Dolph At Memphis Bakery

A Tennessee man has admitted to helping two suspects shoot rapper Young Dolph in a daytime ambush as a bakery in Memphis.

Jermarcus Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis, Tennessee to three counts of complicity following the November 2021 murder of the artist, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr. is.

The 36-year-old rapper had been buying cookies at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies on Airways Boulevard, near his childhood home in south Memphis, when he was shot by two men after they pulled up in a stolen white Mercedes Benz.

Four people have been charged so far in connection with the shooting, including Johnson’s half-brother Justin Johnson and accomplice Cornelius Smith, who are accused of being the shooters.

Jermarcus Johnson is the only defendant to plead guilty.

When questioned by prosecutor Paul Hagerman on Friday, he admitted that he had taken possession of a car belonging to his half-brother.

The car was not the two-door Mercedes involved in the murder, and Jermarcus Johnson had no role in the shooting, but was one of “several” players more broadly connected to it, Hagerman said.

He admitted that he helped the two suspects of the shooters communicate via cell phone after the murder while they were on the run from authorities, and that he helped one of them communicate with his probation officer.

Johnson also identified a photo of his half-brother wearing the same clothes as one of the two suspected shooters.

Hagerman said after the hearing that handling a multi-defendant case is “a bit like playing chess.”

“You have to prepare your papers,” he said.

Judge Lee Coffee has approved a plea deal for Johnson with prosecutors, allowing him to avoid trial — though he can still testify.

Johnson was initially charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, an indictment said.

His attorney, Josh Corman, told reporters his client was a reluctant participant caught up in the aftermath of the murder.

“Sometimes it’s one of those lessons of, you have to be careful who you know and who you hang out with,” Corman said.

“In this case, it was his half-brother who came to his apartment one day and had a phone and a car.”

Meanwhile, accused gunmen Johnson and Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder.

Hernandez Govan, who is charged with staging the murder, has also pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

A motive for the murder has not been disclosed.

Justin Johnson and Smith are being held in jail, while Govan is on house arrest on $90,000 bail based on concerns for his safety and health.

The incident is not the first time that Young Dolph, who was also a producer and label owner, has been targeted by gunmen.

In 2017, he was shot in the buttocks and arms when he was targeted at a Hollywood shoe store.

Before that, the rapper’s SUV was shot at more than 100 times in Charlotte, North Carolina, leading to the arrest of rapper Black Youngsta.

The Chicago-born rapper grew up in Memphis and lived there until his death.

Known for his depictions of rough street life and his independent approach to the music business, Young Dolph was admired in his hometown for his charitable work.

He organized Thanksgiving meals, donated thousands of dollars to high schools, paid rent and paid funeral expenses for people in the Castalia Heights neighborhood where he grew up.

Raised by his grandmother, the rapper tried to help his parents “clean up their lives” once he found success.

He has released numerous mixtapes, starting with 2008’s ‘Paper Route Campaign’, and multiple studio albums, including his 2016 debut ‘King of Memphis’.

He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, TI, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others.

He was featured on OT Genasis’ 2015 hit “Cut It” and was known for his hits “Major” and “On the River.”

Young Dolph had three albums that reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020’s “Rich Slave” peaking at No. 4.

In his music, Young Dolph rapped about being a drug dealer and street life in Memphis.

City officials and community activists pointed to his murder as a symbol of the dangers of gun violence in Memphis, where more than 300 homicides were reported last year.

Young Dolph’s cousin, Mareno Myers, told local news outlets that the rapper was back in his hometown to visit an aunt who had cancer.

Myers said they had plans to do charity work and give out turkeys for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday at a local church.

A private funeral was held for Young Dolph on November 30, and part of a street near where he grew up was renamed in his honor on December 15.

He was also honored at a public celebration at FedExForum, home of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzles and the University of Memphis men’s basketball team.

Meanwhile, murals of Young Dolph have been painted all over the city and a pop-up museum featuring him opened earlier this year.

The crime scene, Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, was closed for months after the shooting and became a makeshift memorial for the slain rapper. It has since reopened.