Young Dolph, the prominent Memphis rapper, maintained his independent status even as his popularity grew, issuing his wide array of releases through the self-established Paper Route Empire label, which he created in 2008. During the middle part of the 2010s, he utilized this platform to nurture emerging artists from the area, bringing on Key Glock, Jay Fizzle, and Big Moochie Grape prior to the collective's initial group release known as Paper Route Illuminati in 2021.
Initially focused on hosting Dolph's numerous mixtapes, Paper Route Empire expanded its role in the 2010s by offering routes to broader recognition for various hometown artists. His initial signing involved his mentee Key Glock along with relative Jay Fizzle; each debuted on the label in 2017 via the projects Glock Season and Life of a Lul Gangster respectively. As he persisted in putting out his music in tandem with theirs, Dolph expanded the roster significantly, with early additions including Kenny Muney and Big Moochie Grape, followed by Snupe Bandz and PaperRoute Woo in 2021. Once complete, he assembled the label's members and associates to produce Paper Route Illuminati, marking the first compilation from the imprint. Featuring input from every signed artist plus fresh names such as Bigg Unccc and Joddy Badass, the effort captured the collective's intense, repetitive approach to Memphis trap. Following Dolph's untimely death toward the end of 2021, the remaining members prepared a commemorative EP titled Long Live Young Dolph, which came out in January of the next year.
