— Young Dolf in 2017

If Beale Street could talk, it might inform you that while Memphis, Tennessee, is proud, it’s a city that can be unafraid of its traumas. At its heart is a museum dedicated to the late activist Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement at the Lorraine Motel – the place where King took his last breath. More than half a century later, the murder of rapper Young Dolph, while not a comparative measure, leaves a serious emotional wound.

On Thursday, after a four-day trial, a jury found Justin Johnson guilty of Young Dolph’s November 2021 murder. Makeda homemade butter cookies. Johnson was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm. While the verdict was being read, Johnson showed no emotion when he discovered he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

Ask many Memphis residents about the impact of Young Dolph’s murder and they’ll surely inform you that it’s a stain that the city will carry for generations. Gun violence in Tennessee, particularly in Memphis, persists polarizing issue though it’s noticeable disastrous consequences. The virus pandemic didn’t help the city, but the wave of violence didn’t abate even after the restrictions were lifted. Illegal carry was legalized in Tennessee in 2021, the same yr Young Dolph’s name was added to a grim list that has grown longer and longer over the years.

Although Young Dolph was born in Chicago, his rap fame is primarily related to Grind City. His music was a direct reflection of the roughness, darkness and pride of the very streets he survived and that ultimately took his life. His demeanor was country smooth and massive city southern elegant. And because it was a direct reference to Memphis, it was that city, as Young Dolph often told anyone who would listen, that turned him right into a Southern hip-hop deity.

Johnson’s conviction is something of a victory because Young Dolph’s family received justice. Carlissa Thornton, his sister, he spoke immediately after the verdict, thanking the court, the Memphis Police Department and her brother’s legion of fans for his or her dedication and support. But she did it while fighting back tears. Justice has never equaled peace. Justice never turned back time and resurrected family members. As necessary as that is, justice has never been equal to senselessness. The speedy trial was a masterclass in justice and one other brutal example of the devastating power of gun violence in America.

Cornelius Smith, who confessed to murdering Young Dolph’s murder. His testimony in Johnson’s trial proved to be its most electrifying and emotional element. Not only did he single out Johnson, but he also pointed to the late Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, the older brother of fellow Memphis MC Yo Gotti, as the mastermind behind the hit. Although Young Dolph and Yo Gotti were once cordial and Yo Gotti tried to sign him to his record label, Young Dolph’s Paper Route Empire label was plunged into crisis. perennial beef with Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (formerly Cocaine Muzik Group). Animus featured records (titled by Young Dolph’s venomous song “Play Wit Yo B—-”) and long-standing rumors of Yo Gotti’s involvement in numerous attempts on Young Dolph’s life, including 2017 shooting during CIAA weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Young Dolph’s SUV was reported to have been shot more than 100 times. This act prompted Young Dolph to directly address the focus of the aptly titled “100 shots” from the aptly titled album . According to Smith, Mims placed a $100,000 bounty on Young Dolph before he was killed in the January shooting.

Johnson’s attorney, Luke Evans, argued that his client was not guilty of the charges and it couldn’t be conclusively proven that he was at the scene of the killing. Prosecutors presented video and cellphone evidence that corroborated Smith’s claims, including phone calls between the two before the killing. Johnson and Mims also spoke immediately after the killing. These are legal facts that the jury found undisputed. What matters here – and what’s going to ceaselessly go down in the painful history of cases related to this very topic in Memphis – is how silly the whole scenario is.

During the trial, it was reported that Smith was offered $100,000 to kill Young Dolph, but was only paid $800. The Hitmen’s lack of cash shouldn’t be a brand new phenomenon. Duane “Keefe D” Davis, accused of murdering rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996, he has been saying for many years that Sean “Diddy” Combs paid Shakur and former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight $1 million – but was never compensated. According to a former Los Angeles Police Department detective Greg KadenKnight then placed a $25,000 bounty on The Notorious B.I.G., which was split between his then-girlfriend and Wardell “Poochie” Fouse (who died in a drive-by shooting in 2003). It is unclear whether the full amount was ever paid. On August 12, rapper Nipsey Hussle’s older brother, Samiel Asghedom, he insinuated Eric Holder was sent to perform the assassination. Young Dolph appears to be joining this unlucky community.

The killers turned on one another on the stand, with Smith likely telling what he knew in exchange for future clemency when he stands trial for the same crime. As the Young Dolph family looked on, the entire city received a clearer and more painful picture of how much it had lost on November 17, 2021. It’s easy to say, and maybe more comforting, that Young Dolph “died for a reason.” The truth is that he died of something.

Young Dolph died due to street politics, which is simply too often solved with bullets as a substitute of even the faintest sense of brotherhood. Young Dolph died due to his pettiness. Young Dolph died over the promise of cash and a record deal that never materialized (Johnson, whose rap name was Straight dropapparently he was searching for a contract with Yo Gotti’s label). Young Dolph’s death is a microcosm of gun violence and its impact on rather more than simply the black community. Watching Young Dolph’s trial jogged my memory how deep the disease is and what number of would favor anything apart from a cure. Someone accessed Johnson’s Instagram Stories moments after the verdict was announced. “These niggas are taking criminal responsibility. I take responsibility on the street, whether I’m the biggest the keys can throw away before I even eat the cheese.” we read in a social media post.

Young Dolph’s life was taken away – more importantly, two children lost their father – due to this kind of mentality. This shouldn’t be unusual and that’s the tragedy. When the headlines disappear and Johnson’s name goes down in history as a thief of the worst respect, he can have to reckon with the proven fact that this mentality might be the reason for his life, in addition to the man he stupidly agreed to murder. The short time it took Young Dolph 22 bullets will replay in his mind for the remainder of his life. Over time, he will realize how unwise this decision was. Pulling the trigger but inheriting one other party’s beef when his future was likely removed from their priority list. This trial represented the value of Black lives and the weight of their responsibility.

In his 2014 street classic “Sermon” Young Dolph spoke about the mentality he saw in many individuals in Memphis and beyond. In hindsight, it is evident that it was a defense mechanism. He didn’t know who Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith were, nor did he meet them in the final moments of his life. However, Young Dolph understood that the very streets his music spoke about – the same music that attracts on hostility resulting from generations of economic disinvestment, over-policing, and the influx of medication and guns – were dangerous, and subsequently became ghosts before him. , he rapped. .

These lyrics and plenty of others in his catalog provided the unofficial soundtrack of the trial. The truth is, we may never hear Justin Johnson’s name again. His name will, by design, be “straight removed” from the cultural consciousness, except in the case of Young Dolph’s legacy. He shouldn’t be a lot a villain as he is a victim of a very American sin. One man dies with air in his lungs, the other lives ceaselessly and won’t ever have the opportunity to breathe again. The only more painful irony comes from those that have to select up the pieces of an image that can never be whole again.

Justin Simien is a tremendous, uncompromising black filmmaker and guest of the latest episode of “Masters of the Game”. Simien rose to fame with the 2014 film “Dear White People,” an entertaining and politically difficult tackle Black life at a predominantly white university. I saw “Dear White People” on its opening weekend in a theater full of Black people and it was perfect. We laughed, screamed at the screen, and grappled with a movie that handled colorism, classism, and the politics of being gay on a campus full of straight people.

The film delves into the nuances and complexities of being black and politically lively on campus. The fundamental character, Sam White, played by the sublime Tessa Thompson, is a young sister with an especially powerful spirit who hosts a campus radio show in which she continuously calls bullshit on white people, hence the title “Dear White People.” Many of her essays begin with this call to arms. She is one of the student leaders who challenge white supremacy. Plus, she’s secretly dating a white man. She is totally in charge of this relationship, nevertheless it’s a twist for a lot of viewers. Can they accept a black political leader with a mysterious white boyfriend? This dichotomy is funny, difficult and true.

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“Dear White People” became an unforgettable Netflix television show for which Simien served as director, author and executive producer. Simien also wrote and directed “Bad Hair,” an incredible mix of comedy, horror and workplace politics. At its core is an enchanted weave that turns users into madmen. Once again, Simien has found a solution to discuss blackness in a funny and intelligent way.

Simien is one of the biggest authors of the modern era, a filmmaker who’s thought-provoking, comedic, honest and profound. He’s also a friend, so this conversation was fun. Don’t miss Justin Simien on “Masters of the Game” at 8 p.m. ET on Friday and at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday on TheGrio Cable Network.

Model-turned-entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen has her sights set on something aside from just looking stunning on red carpets with her husband: animal food.

Teigen took the stage at Adweek’s Brandweek event in Phoenix, Arizona to advertise her latest enterprise, Kismet, a line of pet products and foods she created fired with husband John Legend in May.

After she showcased her business skills on panels and discussed marketing strategies, she posted highlights from the event on Instagram to her 42.2 million social media followers.

In her post, the mother of two could be seen wearing a gray dress with a uniquely designed V-neck. Teigen shared her enthusiasm for the event with the caption: “@adweek Brand Week is truly one in all my favorite events of the yr! it was a lot fun talking about the whole lot @kismet! Phoenix, you might be ungodly sexy, but additionally very cool.

She jokingly as well as“We also had a great, amazing meal at North Italia, so overall a 10/10 experience!”

Teigen also couldn’t resist quickly sharing her dog’s food and told her followers, “Get some shrimp and dip the bread in it, and the truffle garlic bread that you can use as a ladle too, baby.”

Fans figuratively ate it up, and her comments section was stuffed with praise for her brand.

One person raved: “Our dog loves @kismet! The dog food is of high quality and the treats are motivating! I love the scheduled delivery options.”

Clearly, Teigen’s brand and vibrant personality resonated with her audience, with one one who attended her panel saying, “You stole the show moo deng style.”

Although her skilled skills were on full display, some couldn’t help but give attention to her appearance relatively than her business achievements.

Several critics even speculated that she had recently undergone botched plastic surgery.

“In what universe is all this plastic surgery considered attractive?” one person interrogated.

Another harshly added: “Dear God…your doctor must have his license revoked for putting s… like that in your cheeks. … It looks absurd. I do not know if anyone told you this or not, but it surely’s a fact.

Despite the negative reviews, not all reviews were critical.

A 3rd said: “Do you have Lipo on your stomach? You look amazing!! Flat stomach!! Amazing figure!!”

A fourth added: “Umm you look lovely from every angle. Tell John I’m sorry.

This is not the primary time she has faced criticism about her appearance.

In June 2024, People magazine reported when she took to Instagram to share rumors about her cosmetic procedures.

When someone claiming to be a doctor accused her of using fillers, she denied the claims in a series of videos.

“Would you trust a doctor who couldn’t tell the difference between filler and weight gain? I personally would not do this,” she said in one clip, before adding, “Plus, my doctor would never, ever spend time on Instagram and analyze people’s faces… he’s too busy with work.”

In the second video, Legend’s wife identified the damage that one of these criticism causes.

“This sort of criticism only makes the person you might be talking about not need to smile and show their natural joy because they think people will make fun of them due to their bone structure, possibly their teeth, their lips, how they appear after they smile,” she said. “Like, what does it really do other than steal someone else’s joy? Literally.”

The 38-year-old has been open about her past cosmetic enhancements, going to X in 2020 to disclose she had had breast augmentation, but it surely wasn’t her first surgery.

the surgery went great! the note I woke as much as is the very best part pic.twitter.com/SlKL44bB5U

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) June 11, 2020

In September 2021, Teigen candidly revealed that she had a s surgery to remove fat from the cheeka treatment geared toward improving the definition of the jawline, reducing facial fullness and shading the cheeks. According to Harper’s Baazar, this trend is becoming increasingly popular in Hollywood.

Just a few months later, she shared details about her next cosmetic procedure — an eyebrow transplant. The surgery involved taking hair from the back of the top and using it to create fuller, more sculpted eyebrows.

On the January 30 episode of “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen, Teigen revealed more about her cosmetics history in the course of the show. She unintentionally confirmed that she had undergone three separate breast augmentation procedures by playing a game wherein she needed to lie about herself.

“I had them drop them off, put them in and take them out. I don’t love them,” she said he said explaining that she didn’t really know that she shouldn’t tell the reality in the sport.

narrator: they didn’t stay perky https://t.co/IwOMlGukkU

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) March 4, 2020

But this was nothing latest. She previously spoke about getting breast implants in her 20s for a magazine spread, and in a 2020 interview with Glamor UK she said it was “more about the swimsuit.”

She as well as“I thought if I was going to pose lying on my back, I wanted them to be perky! But then you give birth to babies and they fill up with milk and deflate, and now I’m screwed.”

Despite the noise, Teigen seems unfazed as she balances her role as mother of 4, cookbook creator, business owner and superstar wife.

Whether it’s about her parenting or how she looks and dresses, she knows that individuals will at all times have something to say.