Celebrity Celebrity Deaths Young Dolph Laid to Rest as Longtime Partner Mia Jaye Speaks Out: 'Long Live My King' Young Dolph, 36, was shot and killed in Memphis on Nov. 17 By Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis is a senior writer on the music team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2019, and her work has previously appeared in Entertainment Weekly and the New York Daily News. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 2, 2021 11:45AM EST Young Dolph. Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Rapper Young Dolph has been laid to rest two weeks after he was fatally shot in Memphis. The 36-year-old hip-hop artist's funeral took place on Tuesday in his hometown of Memphis, and started with a private service at First Baptist Church, according to Memphis Commercial Appeal. N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home also shared photos of the day's events, including the hearse and funeral procession of Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr. "Speaking on behalf of the management and staff of N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home, we're terribly saddened about the sudden demise of Adolph 'Main Man' Thornton Jr.," the post read. "We're truly honored to be chosen to provide the professional services to the Thornton and P. R. E. family and we pray that our services exceeded each of your expectations! Our prayers are continuously extended to each of you. God bless." The rapper's partner Mia Jaye shared her first Instagram post since his tragic Nov. 17 death that same day, with an emotional tribute video to her longtime love. "Long Live My King… My Heart… My Soulmate…. I love you," she wrote, adding an infinity emoji and a blue heart. The video was set to the Nicholas Britell song "Agape," which featured in the 2018 film If Beale Street Could Talk, and featured various photos of both the couple and of them with their two children, Tre and Ari. "Praying for the healing of my heart," Jaye wrote atop a black-and-white portrait of Young Dolph. Jaye wiped her entire Instagram page clean, save for her tribute video and a post from Valentine's Day 2020 in which she and Dolph shared a kiss. "Kiss your loved ones often, you never know when it might be your last," her post read. "Admire their complex being & forgive them of their past. Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the courageous & bold. No matter if I'm with you my heart goes wherever you go." The mother of two broke her silence one day after Dolph's killing in an Instagram Story, writing that she loved him "with all my heart and soul." Young Dolph's Partner Mia Jaye Thanks Followers for 'Prayers' After His Death: 'God Give Me Strength' Police Release Images of Suspects in Fatal Shooting of Young Dolph "Question is… How am I ever going to tell my babies that daddy is never coming home?" she wrote on her Instagram Story over a video of Dolph playing with Ari. She added: "Thank you to everyone for all of your prayers, love, support, calls, messages… I may not see them all but when my eyes are not full of tears, I catch a few… Nonetheless, all the genuine positive vibes, energy and prayers are welcome… because Lord knows I need them…" Dolph was shot and killed on Nov. 17 outside a local business called Makeda's Butter Cookies. An investigation into his killing is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call the Memphis Police Department Crime Stoppers at 901-528-2274. "This shooting is another example of the senseless gun violence we are experiencing locally and nationwide," the Memphis Police Department said in a statement at the time. "Our hearts go out to the Thornton family and all who are affected by his horrific act of violence." Young Dolph released his debut album King of Memphis in 2016, and in the years since, continued to churn out at least one album each year. He had also launched an indie record label called Paper Route Empire, for which he planned to scout up-and-coming artists to help build a roster he hoped would one day dominate hip-hop radio. The rapper and his family members were also the founders of the IdaMae Family Foundation, a local nonprofit named after his grandmother that aimed to better their community. Close