Young Dolph was honored at a public memorial at the FedExForum arena in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon as fans and community members gathered to pay tribute to the slain rapper one month after his death.
The rapper, born Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., was shot and killed in Memphis on Nov. 17 while visiting Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies, a bakery in South Memphis that he'd been known to frequent. He was 36.
Young Dolph was remembered by friends, family, community leaders and aspiring artists, who recognized him as a family man, a trailblazing creative and a philanthropist who had a devotion to service and a deep connection with his community.
In a powerful moment, Dolph's longtime partner, Mia Jaye, shared an emotional tribute as she was joined on stage by their two children, seven-year-old Tre and four-year-old Ari.
"I have two blessings. They both embody his spirit," Jaye said. "It's definitely painful to not have him in our lives, but one thing I know for sure, for certain, is that he is in our hearts. He's guiding us. He's our angel. He's our guiding star."
Tre spoke at the memorial and said his dad "trained me to be a good man when I grow up."
"Since he had [died], I'm gonna make it up to the whole world," Tre said, "and I'm gonna be the greatest person you'll ever know."
Meanwhile, Ari remembered how much she loved playing with her father and said he is "still in my heart."
The memorial also included a series of tributes from stars who'd collaborated with the rapper, including Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and T.I., as well as a message from jailed rapper C-Murder and a tribute from Grammy-winning singer Monica.