King von was an emerging force in Chicago’s drill music scene, signed to Lil Durk’s Only the Family and Empire Distribution and producing songs such as Problems, Crazy Story and Beat That Body.
He was a dedicated friend, taking special care to look out for those he cared about. Many will miss him dearly.
Born Dayvon Daquan Bennett on August 9, 1994 in Chicago, Illinois
King Von was an American rapper best known for his hit songs such as “Problems” and “Crazy Story.” Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised at Parkway Gardens complex (known colloquially as OBlock) where fellow rappers Chief Keef and Lil Durk resided; King Von was an exceptional rapper with an endearing persona who earned himself much admiration in the rap community. His charm, charisma, and intelligence earned him this status.
After meeting G Herbo, he quickly took an interest in rapping. His hard-hitting drill rap style became widely popular within Chicago’s music scene and held great promise for future growth.
On November 6, 2020, King Von was shot multiple times during an altercation at the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta, Georgia that quickly escalated into gunfight. Timothy Leeks (Lul Timm), who is being accused of the death, currently stands on charges for felony murder.
He started rapping at the age of 20
Once upon a time, storytelling was at the core of rap music; icons like Slick Rick and Scarface built their careers on being master storytellers over entire songs. But nowadays, much of its economy relies on all-night recording sessions where artists freestyle verses written on-the-fly over beats they created themselves.
Von hails from Chicago’s Parkway Gardens neighborhood and has made waves through his powerful rhymes that resonated with listeners. After signing with Lil Durk’s OTF label in 2018, Von released his debut single “Crazy Story,” which has received over 61 million views to date on YouTube.
King von autopsy had established himself in Atlanta prior to his death, spending quality time with his family while also taking money back home and giving it out as community service in Parkway Gardens neighborhood. Doing this became an integral part of life there.
He is signed to Lil Durk’s Only the Family Entertainment label
Dayvon Daquan Bennett, more commonly known by his stage name King Von, was a Chicago-based rapper signed to Lil Durk’s Only the Family Entertainment label and Empire Distribution. Born and raised in Parkway Gardens – home to many drill artists such as Lil Durk himself – King Von was part of The Black Disciples with hopes to follow in David Barksdale’s footsteps as leader of their group gang and was an advocate for his community.
His songs depicted violent street beefs and the struggle to make ends meet, drawing inspiration from drill superstars G Herbo and Chief Keef, but with an approach all his own. His delivery was swift while his nihilistic lyrics were softened by humor and empathy.
On November 6, 2020 in Atlanta during a fight with Quando Rondo’s crew, Timothy Leeks was shot and killed; one other person was also injured during this shootout; Leeks would later be apprehended in March 2021 for his suspected role.
He has released two albums
After joining Lil Durk’s Only the Family label, King Von released music at an alarming rate. His first major single “Crazy Story,” with millions of views on YouTube, quickly followed by “Problems,” which hit Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and established himself as an artist to be reckoned with.
This song gained the attention of various rappers, such as Chance the Rapper and Calboy, who credit him with inspiring them to pursue hip-hop as careers. Additionally, his captivating bars and emotive narratives won critical acclaim.
Von’s death at age 26 in 2020 was an unexpected tragedy that sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community. Following his estate’s release of posthumous album What It Means to Be King featuring singles “War” and “Don’t Play That,” featuring 21 Savage, many fans hailed it as one of the year’s best releases; fans even claimed Lil Durk and Polo G were part of its roster!