The murder trial surrounding Memphis rap star Young Dolph took a dramatic turn this week after an admitted gunman gave explosive testimony implicating some of the city’s most prominent figures. Cornelius Smith, one of the men charged in the fatal 2021 shooting, told jurors on Monday (Aug. 18) that Anthony “Big Jook” Mims—Yo Gotti’s brother and a well-known Memphis music executive—ordered the hit that ultimately led to Dolph’s death.

On the stand, Smith described Hernandez Govan as the “middleman” in what prosecutors say was a murder-for-hire plot. According to Smith, he first met Govan through a man named Bobby Carter, who introduced him as a drug supplier. The relationship, Smith said, quickly evolved into talk of contracts and bounties on Memphis artists. “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.

Smith also revealed that Big Jook’s influence extended beyond Dolph, claiming that multiple artists connected to Dolph’s Paper Route Empire label had been targeted. The gunman detailed several scouting attempts, including at Dolph’s annual Thanksgiving giveaway, before ultimately ambushing the rapper outside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in November 2021. “Once we saw him, we didn’t say nothing. We knew it was go time,” Smith recalled.

The chilling testimony included descriptions of the getaway, with Smith admitting he was shot during the ambush and fleeing with co-defendant Justin Johnson, also known as “Straight Drop.” After the shooting, Smith claimed the men FaceTimed Big Jook, who allegedly reassured them that he would handle payment later. Smith told the court he would have had to go through either Govan or Johnson to collect the promised money.

Big Jook, who was long suspected of playing a role in Dolph’s death, was killed in Memphis in January 2024, leaving questions about his full involvement unanswered. Justin Johnson has since been convicted of murder, conspiracy, and weapons charges, receiving a life sentence plus 50 years. Meanwhile, Hernandez Govan continues to stand trial as the alleged orchestrator of the hit, while fans, family, and the hip-hop community await justice in one of rap’s most heartbreaking tragedies.

Source: Law & Crime