King Von’s debut single “Crazy Story” introduced us all to an artist of immense potential. Utilizing sinister drill production, Von was able to paint vivid pictures through his lyrics.
Dayvon Bennett, better known by his nickname King Von, was an influential member of Chicago drill scene and released his debut mixtape Grandson Vol. 1 in 2019.
Background
King Von, also known by his given name of Dayvon Bennett, grew up in Chicago’s O-Block neighborhood where drug addiction and gang violence was commonplace. Yet despite these difficult circumstances he ultimately went on to become one of the most promising young artists in drill music – earning respect from numerous rappers including G Herbo and Lil Durk.
King Von Autopsy had an exceptional ability to tell a compelling tale and use his voice to bring people together. His dark narratives and blunt nihilism were always met with humor and kindness for those close to him.
His 2020 album Welcome to O’Block demonstrated his potential as an generational talent, and Grandson confirms this trajectory. At 26 years old, he was at full bloom both personally and creatively, having two children from previous relationships (one each with Queen Kema and Mici), working on new projects to advance his rap career, as well as looking toward future collaborations that might catapult him further up the charts.
Introduction
LeBron James’ teenage son is an ardent admirer of Chicago rapper King Von, known for raps that detail street life in Englewood. Unfortunately, King Von died too soon for his music to flourish; this tragedy marks yet another young Black hip-hop star lost in violent incidents within recent years; others include Pop Smoke from Brooklyn, Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Wopo, Philadelphian Meek Mill and Los Angeles-born XXXTentacion among many more.
Born Dayvon Bennett, Von first made waves with “Crazy Story,” an upbeat tale of a robbery released through Lil Durk’s Only the Family label. With hard-hitting flows and melodies that created his storytelling style – which would become refined on Grandson, Vol. 1 and Levon James mixtapes – Von’s music solidly established his place within his city’s drill lineage, yet showed studious work ethic and foundational lyricism that could elevate it further – evidenced by Meek Mill and YNW Melly sending their condolences upon his murder.
Body
King Von was an emerging star in the drill scene, an up-and-coming rapper with both storytelling ability and a history of violence in his family background. But King Von rose above this legacy to become one of its most compelling figures before his premature death at 26.
Born Dayvon Bennett on Chicago’s O Block, Von’s storytelling skills captured the attention of Lil Durk who welcomed him into Only the Family collective. Von’s single “Crazy Story” has been streamed over 20 million times online while Welcome to O’Block was released the same year as well.
In 2022, his first posthumous album What It Means to Be King defied popular opinion by entering the charts at number two and topping US R&B chart. A year later came Grandson which broke into upper echelons of Billboard 200 chart featuring guest appearances by 42 Dugg, Polo G and many other big names in drill, trap and commercial rap music scenes.
Conclusion
King Von’s raps were dense, detail-heavy narratives. His unique vocal approach set him apart from earlier drill predecessors; his dynamic delivery could be heard echoing across Pro Tools with an aggressive tone that paralleled his physical presence.
He initially made his early recordings a capella without considering drums as part of their sound, an approach which helped define his distinctive flow and create memorable hooks – something which helped fuel his popularity with hip-hop fans outside Chicago and allow them to easily identify with his music.
Lil Durk recognized Lil Kim’s early work and invited him into Only the Family collective in 2018. Kim’s Gold-certified breakout hit “Crazy Story” captured everything hip-hop fans outside Chicago would come to love about his music; its fast tempo and suspenseful melody recalled murky Chicago hood stories while its title refered back to Lil Durk himself. Although Kim passed away much too soon, his music continues to inspire many generations.
