MEMPHIS, Tenn.– As the memorial for Young Dolph comes down, friends and fans are planning a new site to honor him in the community that raised him.
First, a street was renamed in his honor, and soon Castalia Heights will also be home to permanent memorial for slain rapper Young Dolph.
Community activist Frank Gottie started working on the idea shortly after it was announced the makeshift memorial outside Makeda’s Cookies where Dolph was killed would be taken down.
“It breaks my heart to see what’s going on with the memorial,” Gottie said.
With Makeda’s no longer reopening its Airways store due to threats and people traveling from across the country to the location, Gottie said the spot is dangerous.
“It’s sad to even come up there where Dolph lost his life at, and then it’s dangerous. This safe right here,” he said. “When we be up there true enough we risk our lives, but we be up there to protect the people coming in from out of town.”
Chris Andrews, known as Castalia Baby, is also working on the memorial. He said Dolph was a childhood friend and it’s fitting to have the memorial on the side of the Community Grocery store at Castalia and Boyle.
The rapper, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot and killed Nov. 17 inside a cookie store on Airways Boulevard, near the South Memphis neighborhood where he grew up.
“This where it all started. This his hood. This where he grew up at. When he talk about Castalia he talking about this street right here. He shot his first 20 videos on this street right here,” Andrews said.
He said the mural will be done by a local artist who will freehand a representation of Dolph.
“What he stood for everyday, independence, being a Black entrepreneur, a Black CEO helping the community,” Andrews said.
“It’s more genuine over here than over there. I know he passed up there, but this is his neighborhood,” said Nick Stigger who is also helping with the memorial.
Now four months since Dolph’s tragic killing, they’re hopeful this new location will help fans keep the #LongLiveDolph energy alive.
The group said the artist will start on the mural very soon. Young Dolph’s team said they will send out information regarding plans for a memorial when the information is available.