What is Justin Johnson's rapper name? Young Dolph's killer says he is "taking street responsibility" in IG post after guilty verdict

Justin Johnson was found guilty of the November 2021 murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph, during the hearing on September 26, 2024. Johnson, who rapped under the moniker Straight Drop, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. He was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Johnson took to Instagram after the guilty verdict was passed to claim that he was "taking street responsibility."

"These n****a taking criminal responsibility I'm taking street responsibility regardless I'm forever the biggest they can throw away the keys before I ever eat the cheese," Johnson wrote.

Yong Dolph, who was 36 years old at the time, was shot 22 times at Makeda's Cookies on Airways Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 17, 2021. Apart from Justin Johnson, Cornelius Smith, and Hernandez “Quett” Govan were also arrested in connection to the murder in January 2022. A fourth suspect, Jermarcus Johnson, was arrested on three counts of accessory after the fact.

---

Cornelius Smith pled guilty to Young Dolph's murder

During the trial on September 23, Cornelius Smith testified that Yo Gotti‘s brother Anthony “Big Jook” Mims had put out a hit on Young Dolph for $100,000. He added that Govan organized the hit, which Smith and Johnson carried out. The two men were reportedly supposed to get $40,000 each, but Smith only got $800 after the murder.

Cornelius pleaded guilty to murder and said that he needed the money for his daughter's birthday, which was also the day Dolph was killed. When he was asked why he committed the crime on that day, Cornelius said that since he didn't have any money, he was trying to "get some money that day."

“Man, I was trying to make it right for her. I ain’t have no money, I’m trying to get some money that day. So I’m trying to make sure my baby girl have a beautiful birthday,” Smith claimed.

Young Dolph and Big Jook had an almost-decade-long rivalry that started in 2014 and resulted in the latter putting out the hit. Three years after Dolph's death, in January 2024, Big Jook was fatally shot in Memphis. The investigation surrounding his death is ongoing and the police have not filed any charges at the time of this article.

Justin Johnson never testified during the four-day hearing. He was handed a life sentence for first-degree murder after a four-hour deliberation from the jury. His sentences for the other two charges are to be deliberated in November.

Cornelius Smith and Hernandez Govan are yet to be sentenced.

---

Young Dolph's funeral was held in November 2022

Dolph's family conducted a private funeral in November 2022. Following his death, a street in the neighborhood he grew up in was named after him.

Mia Jaye, the rapper's partner and mother to his children, released a statement following Justin Johnson's guilty verdict. Jaye said that the verdict brought her relief and restored her "confidence in the justice system." She added that the three years since Dolph's death were "incredibly frustrating" and tested her faith.

"My faith has been tested, but Adolph's tragic execution has only strengthened my resolve to fight for justice ‑ not only for him but for all Black men," she wrote.

---

Adolph Thorton Jr., aka Young Dolph, had two children with his partner Mia. His eighth studio album, Paper Route Frank, was released posthumously on December 16, 2022.