'Our angel': Young Dolph's family issues first official statement since his death
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The family of Young Dolph is speaking out for the first time through the late rapper's publicist.
Young Dolph, whose given name is Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot at killed at Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17. He was 36 years old.
The full statement from the family is as follows:
"There are no words that exist, that sufficiently express the pain we are feeling as a family. Losing Adolph, Dolph, Man-Man, changes our lives forever. And while we will take each day as it comes, we are comforted in knowing that he leaves a legacy that reflects his heart. A heart that was for his family. A heart that was for the people.
"We are grateful for the outpouring of love. We are grateful that his godly obligation to show kindness to the world is being acknowledged.
"As a family, we were blessed to call him our son, our nephew, our brother, our cousin, our partner and our Father. And now, we have the honor of calling him our angel. A role he has always played."
Thornton was in Memphis for the annual turkey giveaway organized by his label, Paper Route Empire. The label continued the mission after Thornton's death.
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Thornton's longtime partner and mother to his two young children, Mia Jaye, recently spoke about Thornton's death on social media.
Funeral and memorial arrangements for Thornton have not yet been announced.
The investigation into the shooting that killed Thornton is still underway.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Young Dolph family speaks out for the first time since his death
