King Von was an ambitious young rapper with great promise. A natural storyteller, his full-length debut album Welcome To O’Block demonstrated it beautifully.
Dayvon Bennett, also known by his stage name King Von, hails from Parkway Gardens on Chicago’s South Side – part of Chicago’s O-Block housing development – and was signed to Lil Durk’s Only the Family and EMPIRE imprints in 2018.
1. What It Means To Be King
Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known by his nickname King Von, was shot dead outside Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta in November 2020 and his legacy lives on through What It Means to Be King, released posthumously through his estate and Empire Distribution. This project picks up where Welcome to O’Block left off with guest appearances from G Herbo, 21 Savage, Fivio Foreign, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Tee Grizzley Lil Durk among others; its production feels organic as opposed to an overly-composed collage of genre shifts and songwriting conventions that other estate releases often use.
It is a fitting follow-up to the late rapper’s groundbreaking debut.
2. Grandson
Dayvon Daquan Bennett was raised on Chicago’s South Side, in O Block. In 2018, his fluid storytelling caught the ear of rapper Lil Durk who signed him to Only the Family collective. Bennett released viral hit single “Crazy Story,” which addressed violence that both informed and was perpetrated upon by himself and society as a whole.
Von, known for his vibrant storytelling ability and vivid imagination, was quickly rising through the ranks of rap until his untimely shooting outside an Atlanta nightclub on November 6, 2020 at 26 years old. 2023’s Grandson continues his rise through rap’s upper ranks posthumously; thus making his death one more tragedy to overcome.
3. To Take Her To The O
King Von Autopsy was an accomplished rapper renowned for his storytelling. Prior to his untimely demise, Von made headlines as one of Chicago’s premier storytellers with vivid depictions of gang violence or songs celebrating street life – giving an inside view into Chicago’s underworld.
This song features a scene where Von defends a stripper from an aggressive man, while Joan Pabon has directed an accompanying visual that mixes narrative scenes (taken directly from Von’s lyrics) with footage of Von and DJ rapping along to their beat.
Many songs address themes of love and relationships while some double as social commentary. What inspired an artist to pen these lyrics? By understanding his/her inspiration behind Took Her to the O., we can gain greater insight into its significance.
4. War With Us
King Von, known for his raw and emotional storytelling, earned the attention of bigger rap names like Lil Durk. Durk took an interest in him and signed him to his Only the Family collective; ultimately this lead to a 2018 viral single that was streamed over 20 million times.
“War With Us,” performed by King Von, is an indictment of street warfare through themes of dominance and loyalty. He boasts of his violent tendencies compared to Steph Curry for their accuracy with weapons. Additionally, his crew of monsters and savages should not be underestimated.
King Von’s posthumous album What It Means To Be King will be released this Friday after his 2020 debut Welcome to O’Block, featuring Polo G, Moneybagg Yo, Fivio Foreign and Dreezy among others as featured guests.
5. GTA
Born Dayvon Bennett, Von was part of an elite class of Chicago rappers that provided music for war-ravaged communities. Lil Durk evaluated Von’s raw potential; however, his answer was an impressive combination of foundational lyricism, studious work ethic, vivid storytelling similar to Ice-T or Speaker Knockerz and vivid performance in front of live audiences.
His 2018 single, “Crazy Story,” became an instantaneous hit and earned widespread acclaim due to its compelling narrative about a shootout on the streets. Unfortunately, however, his life was cut tragically short just weeks after releasing Welcome to O’Block as his full-length debut album.
Von was able to share stories from his street experiences with an audience who appreciated his authenticity and powerful delivery; his music still reverberates today despite tragedy looming large over Detroit’s hip-hop scene.
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