Hernandez Govan, the man prosecutors believe orchestrated the 2021 assassination of beloved Memphis rapper Young Dolph, is now officially headed to trial after rejecting a plea deal at a July 28th court hearing. The decision comes as the case builds toward what could be one of the most closely watched murder trials in hip-hop history.
Govan stands accused of coordinating the deadly ambush that took Dolph’s life inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, a local Black-owned bakery the rapper frequently supported. Prosecutors say Govan’s role in the shooting wasn’t just peripheral; he allegedly arranged the entire hit from behind the scenes, turning a longstanding feud into fatal violence.
Cornelius Smith, one of the co-defendants who has already accepted a plea deal, testified under oath that the murder was a contract killing. According to Smith, the hit was ordered by Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, brother of rap star Yo Gotti, and was supposed to be a $100,000 job. Smith claimed that Govan, acting as the intermediary, told him and fellow shooter Justin Johnson they’d be paid $40,000 each. But Smith says that didn’t happen.
“We got $800 each,” he testified.
Smith also dropped a bombshell by claiming that Gotti’s record label, Collective Music Group (CMG), paid for his legal expenses. These allegations have added fuel to long-standing speculation that Dolph’s murder was deeply rooted in Memphis rap rivalries.
Meanwhile, Justin “Straight Drop” Johnson, the man seen on surveillance footage at the scene, was convicted earlier this year and sentenced to life in prison. Another player in the case, Jermarcus Johnson, who allegedly helped the shooters evade police after the murder, will begin his separate trial on August 18th.
Adding to the case’s complexity, Big Jook was himself gunned down in January 2024 following a family member’s funeral.
With jury selection set to begin soon, Govan’s trial could finally bring some answers. The details of his rejected plea deal remain unknown.
