Young Dolph’s Killer Details Murder-For-Hire Plot Led By Yo Gotti‘s Brother Big Jook

An admitted gunman in the murder of Memphis rap star Young Dolph has testified that Big Jook, Yo Gotti‘s brother, ordered the hit that ultimately led to Dolph’s death. On Monday (Aug. 18), Cornelius Smith, one of the men charged in the murder of the beloved Memphis native, took the witness stand and offered damning testimony against Hernandez Govan, describing him as the “middleman” in the cold-blooded murder-for-hire scheme. Under oath, Smith pointed directly at Govan, accusing him of helping to orchestrate the fatal ambush of the rising rap icon. According to Smith, he was first introduced to Govan in 2021 through a man named Bobby Carter, who identified Govan as a drug supplier. The relationship, he said, began over ecstasy and oxycodone, but quickly turned sinister “He was telling us who had the most money on his head. Young Dolph had the most money on his head. If you kill Young Dolph, you getting $100,000,” Smith testified, revealing that Govan allegedly dangled six figures to carry out the hit. Smith further testified that the order came from Big Jook, an executive at Cinematic Music Group and brother of Yo Gotti—Dolph’s longtime rival. Smith also claimed that bounties were placed on multiple artists affiliated with Young Dolph’s label, Paper Route Empire. He recalled scouting opportunities to carry out the hit, including Dolph’s annual Thanksgiving giveaway. “That’s our opportunity to make something shake,” Smith said. Though he admitted to not knowing much about the label, he had heard Dolph’s music. “I don’t know nothing about what Paper Route do. Smith described how co-conspirator Justin Johnson, also known as “Straight Drop,” received a tip-off about Dolph’s whereabouts on the day of the murder. The men began trailing the rapper. “Anything could shake right now. We going to get somebody. Tomorrow is our day. We going to strike somebody. We going to get lucky tomorrow,” Smith recounted saying during planning. “They come, driving across the light and we spotted the car. We were like, there they go. We proceed the trail Young Dolph,” he testified. “Once we saw him, we didn’t say nothing. We knew it was go time.” “Once we pulled in, that’s when I saw Young Dolph closest to the glass,” he added, describing the moment the shooting began. During the ambush, Smith was struck in the arm and leg. “Once we left the cookie shop, I was telling Justin I was hit. He like ‘I was hit too,’” Smith said. “Justin was driving at the time. I was asking him cause he was driving, so he wouldn’t crash.” They fled the scene and returned to a house near Govan’s residence. “I jumped out the Mercedes Benz, jumped into a Suburban truck, and moved out the way,” he said. “I was bleeding incredibly bad. We were trying to get cleaned up. And we were trying to find somewhere to go.” “In the meantime, he FaceTimed Big Jook. He [Jook] told us he would get with us when he was done with his kids,” Smith said, adding, “I would have had to have gone through Mr. Hernandez Govan or Justin Johnson to get my money.” Big Jook, born Anthony Mims, was murdered in Memphis in January 2024, but was suspected of being involved in Young Dolph’s death prior to his own passing. Justin Johnson has already been convicted of murder, conspiracy, and weapons charges, receiving a life sentence plus 50 years. The trial continues as the court weighs the full extent of involvement from all alleged participants in one of hip-hop’s most tragic losses.

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