Young Dolph was the stage name of Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. Born in Chicago, he debuted in 2008 with the mixtape Paper Route Campaign and established his own label, Paper Route Empire, to distribute his music. As an independent artist, he promoted his music to local DJs and clubs, and paid well-known DJs to host his work. He first gained mainstream attention for his guest appearance on O.T. Genasis' 2015 hit "Cut It". 