After seven days of processing the loss of Young Dolph, his family has broken their silence. In a statement released on Wednesday (Nov. 24), they expressed the agony felt in his absence and thanked him for “the outpouring of love” they’ve received in the days since his tragic passing.

“There are no words that exist, that sufficiently express the pain we are feeling as a family. Losing Adolph, Dolph, Man-Man, changes our lives forever,” the statement read. “And while we will take each day as it comes, we are comforted in knowing that he leaves a legacy that reflects his heart. A heart that was for his family. A heart that was for the people.”

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love. We are grateful that his godly obligation to show kindness to the world is being acknowledged,” the message continued. “As a family, we were blessed to call him our son, our nephew, our brother, our cousin, our partner and our Father. And now, we have the honor of calling him our angel. A role he has always played.”

Dolph was in Memphis, Tennessee last week for his annual Thanksgiving giveaway and to gift turkeys to staff members at a cancer clinic where his family members received treatment.

On Nov, 17, as he visited the Makeda’s Cookies on Airway Boulevard to purchase some goods, he was shot and killed by an unconfined suspect who drove up to the storefront and rang fire. The local Black business has since been boarded up and turned into a makeshift memorial as authorities continue the investigation into the rapper’s shooting.

In the wake of Dolph’s passing, tributes have poured in, highlighting his charitable spirit among other things. Makeda’s Cookies, which he helped to promote, will pay homage to the late star by renaming his favorite cookie, the chocolate chip, after him.