King Von

Artist ∙ Hip-Hop/Rap

Chicago rapper King Von got into his city's drill scene after his fluid storytelling style caught the ear of more-established rapper Lil Durk. Durk signed Von to his Only the Family label and released his viral 2018 single "Crazy Story," which was included on his debut mixtape, Grandson, Vol. 1. A month after the release of his first official studio set, Welcome to O'Block, he was shot outside a nightclub in Atlanta. He passed away on November 6, 2020, at the age of 26. Posthumous albums like 2023's Grandson were released in the years that followed, continuing Von's dominance of the charts long after the end of his life.

December 5, 2018 at PST
Crazy Story - Single
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February 20, 2020 at PST
Took Her to the O - Single
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October 29, 2020 at PDT
Welcome to O'Block
As so much of the contemporary discussion of drill puts its focus on locales like London and Brooklyn, its Chicago birthplace continues to produce new talent that strengthens the sound’s regional foundations. Associated with Lil Durk’s Only The Family imprint, King Von has rapidly risen thanks to viral singles like “Crazy Story” and its gripping sequels over the past two years. From the stuttering Chopsquad DJ drop on opener “Armed & Dangerous” onwards, his Welcome to O’Block album forces the spotlight back on the South Side, with the help of locals like Durk and Prince Dre, to show what’s changed and what hasn’t. Bluntly revealing cuts like “Demon” and “Gleesh Place” speak to the realities of his streets, while the emotional pair “Can’t Relate” and “Why He Told” go even deeper. Reaching beyond the city limits, Von builds his drill empire with East Flatbush’s Fivio Foreign for “I Am What I Am” and Memphis trap spitter Moneybagg Yo for “Ain’t See It Coming.”
16 Tracks
May 2, 2019 at PDT
Crazy Story 2.0 (feat. Lil Durk) - Single
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September 19, 2019 at PDT
Grandson, Vol. 1
From the onset of King Von’s debut mixtape, 2019’s Grandson, Vol. 1, the Chicago drill star asserts himself as one of the subgenre’s sharpest storytellers. The project represents the beginning of a fruitful relationship between the rapper and fellow drill tastemaker Lil Durk, who features on the project’s fifth track, “Twin Nem.” At the time, Von seemed to be the logical descendent of Durk’s trademark post-drill style just like Durk was inspired by Windy City greats Chief Keef and King Louie. Until his tragic death in 2020, King Von was earmarked as Chicago’s next great rap superstar. He begins to fulfill his legacy on Grandson, Vol. 1.

On its opening track, “Went Silly,” King Von showcases the dead-eyed nihilism that informs much of the drill style, building stories of betrayal and hood ethics that inform the ruthlessness of his reign. Over a rumbling beat from Chopsquad DJ, who also served as an executive producer on the project, Von raps, “I got a bag, n****s’ savings, I be spendin’ that shit/My homie turned state, now he a witness and shit/See, on my soul, I'm out here shootin’ poles/I probably catch a body before I catch a cold.” Von’s ability to imbue these street raps with emotion—in this case, the pathos of a man who has grown weary of dealing with the trauma of life on the corner—is strong.

On “Crazy Story,” which is widely considered Von’s first breakout hit, he reflects on the highs and lows of the world he’s built: “We at the top, yeah we lost a lot, but that just how it go.” Von wrote the song (which features futuristic synths and bouncing 808 drums) while driving from Atlanta to Chicago just after murder charges against him in The ATL were dropped. Initially working without a beat, Von unloaded all his feelings—good and bad—resulting in a song dripping with rawness and vulnerability. These features, permeating most of the tracks on Grandson, Vol. 1, bring an authenticity that the rapper would rely on throughout his brief career. No matter how intense, tragic, or triumphant his situation was, King Von would spit the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
13 Tracks
February 3, 2022 at PST
Don't Play That - Single
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March 5, 2020 at PST
Levon James
16 Tracks
August 4, 2020 at PDT
All These N****s (feat. Lil Durk) - Single
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September 12, 2019 at PDT
Crazy Story, Pt. 3 - Single
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March 3, 2022 at PST
What It Means To Be King
Upon the release of King Von’s What It Means to Be King, nearly a year and a half after his passing, a charting single from Lil Durk entitled “AHHH HA” finds him confronting the frustration of having to forge on without his friend. “Don’t respond to shit with Von!” Durk shouts on the chorus, imploring himself to ignore the near constant mentions of Von’s name that fill the comments of his social media posts. As difficult as it’s been for King Von fans to move on, as “AHHH HA” reveals, it’s been that much harder for those who knew the MC best. What It Means to Be King, though, is where those who did and did not know Von personally may find some semblance of healing.

The album is packed with former peers and supporters like Lil Durk, 21 Savage, G Herbo, Moneybagg Yo, Fivio Foreign, Tee Grizzley, and Dreezy. Their voices complement Von’s across the board, helping him to lay out Chicago drill culture in the way he’d become renowned for. Von’s personal rap style, excited and ever aggressive, carves through production from frequent collaborator Chopsquad DJ, as well as Kid Hazel and ATL Jacob. The storytelling that gave him some of his first acclaim is fully intact here (“Where I’m From,” “Trust Nothing,” “Get It Done”), as is a romantic side (“My Fault”). But what his fans and even his friends are most likely to take from What It Means to Be King isn’t something they didn’t already know. When it comes to the legacy of dearly departed King Von, the music we got during the MC’s lifetime had only barely scratched the surface.
19 Tracks
March 2, 2021 at PST
JUMP (feat. Memo600) - Single
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July 13, 2023 at PDT
Grandson
The second posthumous album from the tragically departed King Von continues to build his legacy as one of Chicago’s great drill voices. The project was built by Von’s estate in conjunction with many of his closest collaborators—artists like Lil Durk and Chopsquad DJ—and serves as a reminder of the artist’s powerful voice; one that was taken away far too early when he was murdered in 2020. Highlights like “Don’t Miss” and “Robberies” immediately enter the pantheon of great Von tracks, showcasing his brilliance as a street poet, a keen observer of the way neighborhoods move and operate, the way its inhabitants become central figures in their very own movies.

Von had a hardened perspective on life in the hood, but he was also deeply empathetic, which animates Grandson more than any tales of hustling. The album takes its title from Von’s prison nickname, which is fitting because of the way his stints behind bars helped shape his entire perspective on songwriting, family, and being alive. Von had seen the worst, and upon becoming free, every step he took went towards making sure he never lost that freedom. The tragedy and triumph of Grandson is that he sounds his freest.
17 Tracks
December 12, 2019 at PST
For a Fact (feat. King Von) - Single
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October 21, 2020 at PDT
Lurkin - Single
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October 8, 2020 at PDT
I Am What I Am (feat. Fivio Foreign) - Single
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March 14, 2019 at PDT
Cousins (feat. JusBlow600) - Single
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January 21, 2021 at PST
Rose Gold (feat. King Von) - Single
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August 27, 2020 at PDT
How It Go - Single
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July 15, 2021 at PDT
Lurkin (feat. Polo G) (Remix) - Single
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July 23, 2020 at PDT
Why He Told - Single
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June 22, 2023 at PDT
Robberies - Single
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August 20, 2020 at PDT
Me and Doodie Lo - Single
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July 12, 2022 at PDT
Shameless - Single
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April 1, 2021 at PDT
Nobody Move (feat. King Von) - Single
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June 16, 2018 at PDT
Beat Dat Body (feat. THF Bay Zoo) - Single
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King Von

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