King Von was an up-and-coming rapper who shared his story through music with the world. Rising from difficult circumstances, he eventually established himself as one of hip-hop’s brightest talents – only for us all to realize just how profound was his talent after he unexpectedly passed away prematurely.
Von had a short yet prolific career. However, his catalog of songs and videos speaks for themselves as evidenced by the consistent effort in the studio.
Born Dayvon Bennett
King Von was an emerging rapper hailing from Chicago’s “O Block” neighborhood. After running into trouble with law at a young age and being charged for an attack that claimed one life and injured two more, he turned his focus toward music and began collaborating with Lil Durk on albums.
Lil Durk quickly noticed his skillful storytelling style and signed him to his Only the Family label. Since then, he quickly established a fan base through mixtapes and released “Crazy Story,” which amassed over 20 million streams on streaming services.
King Von’s song told the tale of a robbery-turned-shooting, and demonstrated his ability to weave compelling tales that resonated with listeners. Additionally, it demonstrated that street life hadn’t left him even after moving to Atlanta to pursue his career – such as with Wooski who killed Odee from STL/EBT set but ultimately became one of King Von’s enemies.
Raised in the O’Block neighborhood of Chicago
King Von Autopsy grew up in Chicago’s O’Block neighborhood, renowned for violent turf wars between gang members. Unfortunately, his father died early and soon thereafter he began engaging in criminal activities which lead to multiple arrests and imprisonments.
His songs often featured explicit and detailed accounts of gang warfare in his neighborhood.
Before his murder, he left behind an impressive catalog of mixtapes and albums; his final release being Welcome to O’Block just one week prior.
This album showcased his raw, intense style while exploring themes of violence, loss and addiction that pervaded much of his work. Artists featured included YNW Melly, NLE Choppa and Booka 600 on this project; it also proved to be his highest charting album up until that point. After his death he released another posthumous project entitled Grandson that featured appearances by popular drill and commercial rappers such as 42 Dugg Polo G and Lil Durk.
Signed to Lil Durk’s Only the Family label
Lil Durk established Only the Family (OTF), an OTF label established by him and his friends and fellow Black Disciples gang members. OTF stands for “family over everything”, with a roster of artists that specialize in Chicago drill rap scene such as YG, Cordae and Asian Doll among many others.
OTF began releasing mixtapes in the early 2010s, while its lineup would change over time. In 2019, OTF released their compilation album Family Over Everything which catapulted them to prominence within the drill scene.
OTF released Only the Family Involved Vol. 2, featuring contributions from OTF members such as YFN Lucci, Doodie Lo and OTF Ikey; it was dedicated in memory of King Von, and reached number 12 on Billboard 200 charts.
Released Welcome to O’Block
King Von quickly established himself as a powerful storyteller during his short career. Lil Durk quickly signed him to Only the Family label, where his fluid flow caught their eye, leading them to release Grandson Vol. 1. A year later, Levon James followed suit, expanding on its predecessors frantic brag-rap style.
Welcome to O’Block was his signature work, released a week before his death and featuring Chicago’s 6400 block of South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive where Parkway Gardens apartments resided; HipHopDX described this project as an album which “eschews gangsterisms for verses about personal struggle and emotional pain,” featuring contributions from G Herbo, Polo G, Fivio Foreign Tee Grizzley BreezyLYN Yo and Moneybagg Yo.
