Who Was Big Jook? What You Need to Know About Yo Gotti’s Brother and His Death in Memphis in 2024

Shelby County prosecutors say Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, the late brother of rapper Yo Gotti and a figure at Gotti’s record label CMG, placed a $100,000 hit order for fellow Memphis hip-hop artist Young Dolph, leading to his murder in 2021.

The discovery came during opening statements in the Sept. 23 trial of Justin Johnson, accused of participating in the murder of Young Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr.

Shelby County Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman outlined the alleged involvement of both Big Jook and Johnson, who went by the alias Straight Drop, in Dolph’s November 2021 murder. According to prosecutors, Big Jook offered Johnson the chance to kill Dolph in order to sign a contract with CMG.

Johnson’s attorney, Luke Evans, said in his opening statement that Johnson did not kill Thornton and the evidence against him does not link him to the killing.

Commercial Appeal has contacted CMG for comment.

Let’s take a closer look at Big Jook and his fatal shooting in January 2024 in Memphis.

YOUNG DOLF AND YO GOTTI: Unpacking the Memphis Rap Feud

Who was Big Jook?

Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, 47, was the older brother of famous Memphis rapper and record label mogul Yo Gotti, also known as Mario Mims.

Anthony Mims was an active member of Gotti’s record label, Collective Music Group, aka CMG. It is unknown what Anthony Mims’ official title was at the label, or if he even had one, but he was often seen alongside the label’s artists at events, and industry sources indicate that he was involved in talent scouting, helping to manage, and promoting projects for the company.

Following Big Jook’s death, The Commercial Appeal made repeated attempts to contact representatives from CMG — Interscope’s major label — but did not receive a response to requests for comment.

Yo Gotti has not publicly commented on his brother’s death.

When and where in Memphis was Big Jook killed?

According to the Memphis Police Department, an officer was in the area of ​​6385 Winchester Road around 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, when he heard gunshots. The officer responded to the scene and found two victims with multiple gunshot wounds who were taken to the hospital. Anthony Mims was identified as the victim, who was pronounced dead at the hospital. The other man was in stable condition, police said.

The officer discovered the victim — Mims — in the vehicle, MPD said. The shooting scene was outside Perignon’s Restaurant and Event Center, where Mims was attending a funeral revival for a relative, Eric Bovan. Bovan — a notorious Memphis cocaine lord in the 1980s and head of the Bovan family — was the former partner of Yo Gotti’s aunt and Big Jook. He died Dec. 31 at age 63.

The Memphis Police Department has not reported any arrests in connection with Big Jook’s death.

Big Jook’s latest social media post

Anthony Mims’ Instagram account offers a colorful look into his life and career in the music industry. Various posts on the account show Mims at music industry events, video shoots, and concerts with his brother Yo Gotti and other CMG artists.

Mims’ last Instagram post came just a day before his death, with a caption that, in retrospect, sounds ominous: “They don’t want to face you, they want to trick you. Stay alert to stay alive, watch your back at all times.”

Reporter Brooke Muckerman contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared in the Memphis Commercial Appeal: Big Jook attacked Young Dolph, prosecutors say. Who was Big Jook?