King Von (born Dayvon Daquan Bennet) was born on August 9, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. He was an American rapper who gained a reputation for his gangsta, trap, and hip-hop music. And he held record deals with Empire Distribution and Lil Durk’s Only the Family label.
Growing up, Von was surrounded by a number of siblings. From his father, he had six half-siblings, and from his mother, three. His father could not be there for the majority of his childhood as he was incarcerated. Consequently, his mother reared him primarily. When Von was just 11 years old, his father was gunned down in a violent crime. A lot of Von’s compositions, most memorably “Exposing Me,” pay homage to his father.
Von served his first time behind bars at the age of 16 when he was wrongfully charged. In connection with a shooting wherein Malcolm Stuckey was slain, and two other people were injured in 2014, he was accused of a count of first-degree murder and two other counts of attempted murder.
Read Ahead…
As luck would have it, he was cleared of all charges and started concentrating on his musical career and working with Lil Durk. Prior to his imprisonment for the alleged crimes, Von attended South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, where he acquired minimal credit hours. While arrested as a juvenile, he acquired his GED. He then went on to become a member of the street gang known as the Black Disciples.
King Von debuted his track “Crazy Story” on December 6, 2018, and it swiftly became his smash hit after renowned rapper Lil Durk signed him to his Only the Family (formerly known as Only Trey Folks) label.
Grandson, Vol. 1, Von’s 15-track mixtape, was launched on September 19, 2019, with two tracks featuring Lil Durk. The album peaked at number 27 on the Hip Hop/R&B albums chart and number 75 on the Billboard 200. On November 16, 2019, Von launched his single “2 a.m.” and subsequently, on November 29, 2019, Von distributed his single “Rollin,” featuring YNW Melly, along with a music video. This is one of his most well-known songs. It was a subset of his mixtape Levon James, which was dropped on March 6, 2020, and reached its highest position on the Billboard 200 at number 63.
King Von’s single “Grandson for President” was dropped on April 29, 2020, and it was a sensation. He thereafter uploaded a music video for Levon James’ song “Broke Opps” as a follow-up. And he soon released a new single, “Why He Told,” on July 27, 2020, which was succeeded by the hit song “All These N*g*as,” which also featured Chicago rapper Lil Durk and achieved more than 21 million views on YouTube. He also released a new single entitled “How It Go.” on August 26, 2020.
Von was detained on November 21, 2012, for having a gun without a license and was then taken to Cook County jail.
In relation to a shooting that took place in May 2014, Von was detained on July 24, 2014. One murder and two attempted murder counts were brought against him. Chicago’s Englewood is where the shots were fired. The charges were dismissed in 2017 after witnesses declined to testify.
According to papers published by the Chicago Police in July 2021, Von allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old Gangster Disciples member Gakirah “K.I.” Barnes in April 2014, but no charges were brought against him because of discrepancies in eyewitness reports.
The Tragic End
Perhaps around 2:15 a.m.2:15 a.m., on November 6, 2020, outside the Monaco hookah lounge in Atlanta, Georgia, Von and his group got into a heated argument with Quando Rondo’s group. The argument quickly turned violent, and Von was shot numerous times. He was rushed to the hospital in a vulnerable state, where he tragically died later that day. At the time of his demise, he was 26.
Two individuals were slain, and six others were injured, as determined by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. One of them, Timothy Leeks, 22, a rapper also known as Lul Timm, who is connected to Quando Rondo, was hauled into jail for the murder of King Von while receiving medical attention for a bullet wound.
Von was remembered in the In Memoriam segment of the 64th Grammy Awards.
A mural of King Von was created by artist Chris Devins in Chicago’s Parkway Gardens in August 2021–Von’s hometown. The intention was to pay homage to the fallen rapper. Regardless, the residents of Chicago expressed disapproval of the mural, saying it promoted gang violence and would foster gang-related crime in the gated community.
King Von’s final album, “What It Means To Be King”, was posthumously released on March 4, 2022, by his management team.
1. “A person that stands for nothing will fall for anything.” – King Von
You’d assume these words would have come from a philosopher or a learned person, not a rapper. Rappers have a reputation for using aggressive language and not expressing themselves appropriately. Nonetheless, the reputation is mostly unfounded. Von’s words are the perfect example of that erroneous reputation.
When a person lacks ethics or morals and is unable to stick up for anything, he or she is easily swayed in the face of reproach or a difficult position. An individual has never learnt to defend their convictions since they do not have any to begin with. As they proceed in life, they will most certainly be labelled as pushovers and remembered for their docile demeanour.
2. “I’m not doing sh*t for anything; I don’t give a f*ck about any of that sh*t. I don’t care about people; I care about my people.” – King Von
Von was loyal to his family, his friends, and the people he cared about. When he rose to fame, he was still relatively new to the industry. Von’s faith and confidence in the right people, his family’s support, and his enthusiasm for his music brought him notoriety, and he never forgot about them once he became famous. He looked after them till his final breath, and he will forever be remembered for his loyalty and loving disposition.
3. “I’ll do whatever I can do.” – King Von
King Von was never one to give up. He never threw in the towel and devoted his heart and energy to everything that he undertook. He managed to turn his life around after getting in trouble with the law at the age of 16, and he began creating music. Even back then, he encountered a series of obstacles. Those obstacles never crushed him or his will to prevail, and they never twisted him into the person he was accused of being.
It’s imperative to maintain your composure in the midst of trouble and bear in mind that you won’t be held accountable if you do nothing amiss.
4. “You have to go harder so everybody can talk about you. The more people know you, the more money you get.” – King Von
This is an indispensable piece of advice to keep in mind, particularly in today’s era where networking and socializing are major elements of building your career. You must associate with people you believe would advance your career and from whom you can pick up a few insights. This should serve as a wake-up call for you to step outside of your comfort bubble and prioritize communicating, even if you tend to be quiet and reserved and operate at the introverted end of the spectrum. Von recognized the value of getting to know people who could enable him to excel.
5. “We are strong, but we are stronger together.” – King Von
A very compelling statement. Von was able to overcome his shortcomings and indulgences and evolve from his juvenile ways of living. He transformed himself into someone profoundly different. He was only able to achieve all of his popularity, success, fortune, and esteem because of the individuals who lifted him up and backed him in his endeavours to become a rapper. Von saw the substantial value of supporting one another and also learned that once we look past the boundaries, differences, and perhaps other things that separate us, we are invincible.
6. “You either gonna wait on it, or you gonna go and get it? The choice is yours.” – King Von
King Von never used inflammatory language when making remarks, advice, or any other assertions. He was unapologetic in his statements and used the simplest words imaginable to get his point across. But it was clear that the message was inflammatory enough. King Von certainly succeeded in his ambitions despite having a rough end to his life.
Here, he urges everyone to effectively engage in their decisions and underlines that the only way one might be able to achieve their goals is if they get up off the couch and make decisions.
7. “I’m rich, and they can’t take it; I’m just happy that we made it.” – King Von
This quote comes from the song “Ride Song” by King Von. Von is ecstatic that he was able to make a substantial change in his life. His joy is abundantly obvious in his songs, and rightfully so. He had a rough childhood. As a teenager, he got into all sorts of trouble. You seek to avoid getting into legal hot water as a teenager. He, unfortunately, had a run-in with the law when he was 16, and from that point forward, he made it his mission to achieve great things and not squander his potential.
8. “I am what I am. What I’m not, see, I’ll never be.” – King Von
This phrase is considered to be one of the many memorable lines of King Von among his fans. His fans still can’t get enough of him, his songs, and the difference he made in their lives and in the world of rap music. Von never wavered from his adherence to his identity, culture, and convictions. He never embraced an identity other than his own, and he never encouraged others to do the same.
9. “Give positive vibes out even though what we rappin’ about is really just entertainment right now. It’s just music.” – King Von
Even after accumulating a significant amount of recognition, fortune, and acclaim, King Von did not lead a simple life. Over the years, he faced a variety of legal issues. The difficulties he faced only served to make him a better person. It is not fair to judge him or the life he led only on the rationale of how he passed away. He always enjoyed his role as a rapper, and he hoped that others would share this enjoyment, along with some of the truths embedded in his songs.
10. “Always watch your back for fake n*g*as.” – King Von
There will be many people who will put up a front in order to profit off of you, exploit your position, or just undermine your career when you start achieving your objectives and fulfilling your aspirations. Von reminds us to keep an eye out for and dismiss phoney ones.