At one time, rappers gained fame by creating intricate stories within songs; today however, this practice is all but obsolete.
Von recorded his debut single upon leaving prison and quickly gained a contract with Durk’s OTF entertainment, providing an entry into an industry that was beginning to appreciate Chicago street rap.
Born Dayvon Bennett
Dayvon Daquan Bennett, more commonly known by his nickname of King Von, was born August 9, 1994 in Chicago and mostly raised by his mother due to frequent jail stays for his father. He had three siblings from both parents as well as six half-siblings from each.
At 16 years of age, he was arrested and began his journey along the path of gang activity. While in prison, he earned his GED degree and began rapping.
Once out of prison, his music gained increasing traction. Eventually he signed with Lil Durk’s label Only the Family and started performing more frequently.
In 2019, Grandson Vol. 1 marked his debut mixtape release and featured artists like Booka600 and YNW Melly. Following this success, Levon James was released the next year and became his most commercially successful project, reaching number 53 on Billboard 200 chart.
Known for “Crazy Story”
King von autopsy found success in music despite spending most of his early years behind bars, when he started rapping. His song, “Crazy Story,” depicting a botched bank robbery has received over 50 million views on WorldStarHipHop’s YouTube channel; Lil Durk noticed its success and signed him onto Only the Family (OTF) Records label as a result.
After the release of his debut single, Von began recording mixtapes. Levon James, released in March 2020, featured artists like YNW Melly, NLE Choppa, Booka 600, and Tee Grizzley, and demonstrated Von’s ability to tell captivating tales over gritty drill beats.
His unique rapping style distinguished him from other Chicago artists riding the drill wave that included Chief Keef and G Herbo. His songs often had dark and grim lyrics while he would deliver rapid-fire bars with an aggressive delivery.
Stream Welcome to O’Block
King Von quickly established himself as one of the city’s most celebrated and diverse young artists during an age dominated by drill music. His unique storytelling ability and range captivated listeners who could understand both his pain and emotions through him.
King Von was deeply immersed in gang culture and his musical compositions ranged from vicious street antics to more personal matters – for instance, his song “Armed & Dangerous” details his interactions with police in Southside Chicago.
After the release of his second mixtape Levon James in 2020, King Von released his debut album Welcome to O’Block shortly thereafter. The set featured guest appearances by Lil Durk, Polo G and Moneybagg Yo – making the album an immense success and earning him gold certification from the RIAA. Furthermore, “Too Real,” co-written and performed with YNW Melly was chart-climbing single off Welcome to O’Block that earned gold certification and made its way up the charts quickly thereafter – watch its visual below
Listen to “Trust Issues”
King Von is best-known for his gripping street tales, which he often turns into visual forms. To do this, he enlisted his friend Yungeen Ace’s assistance in producing “Trust Issues,” an upbeat track about two rappers involved in a love triangle with the same woman; similar to Usher’s hit track “Same Girl.”
Produced by EY3ZLOWBEATZ, this track combines gentle guitars with thumping 808s for an engaging listen. The lyrics detail how a man who feels betrayed by his girlfriend fears she may have been unfaithful to him and keeps calling but never answers; finally deciding to check her phone and find evidence that she had indeed been unfaithful.
This video and song serve as a cautionary tale to other men with trust issues, while simultaneously sending a direct response to NBA YoungBoy for dissing King Von and OTF collective in a recent diss track. According to reports, these video and song have sold 60-65K units within their first week – more than double YoungBoy’s BETTER THAN YOU collab tape with DaBaby sold in its initial week of sales.