King Von, born Dayvon Daquan Bennett, was a Chicago drill rapper whose brief career was defined by vivid street storytelling, deep ties to O’Block on the South Side, and a highly controversial reputation that continued to grow even after his death in 2020.
He was born on August 9, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois, and spent most of his life in the Parkway Gardens housing project, widely known as O’Block. Raised primarily by his mother, he experienced long absences from his father, Walter Bennett, who spent significant time incarcerated and was killed when Von was around 11, an event that marked him deeply and later surfaced in his music.
As a teenager, he became involved in local gang culture, affiliating with the Black Disciples, and that environment of poverty, surveillance, and violence shaped both his real‑life experiences and the content of his lyrics.
Legal troubles and education
During the early 2010s, Von spent repeated stretches in juvenile detention and jail on serious charges, including an armed robbery case at 16 and a widely reported 2014 murder case for which he was ultimately not convicted in court.
While incarcerated he earned his GED, and after release he briefly attended South Suburban College before dropping out and returning to street life on the South Side. By this time his reputation in Chicago’s drill scene, grounded in both his background and his ties to artists such as Chief Keef and Lil Durk, was already established even though his official discography had barely begun.
Music career and breakthrough
King Von signed to Lil Durk’s Only The Family (OTF) label in partnership with Empire Distribution, which formalized their personal and artistic relationship. His breakout single “Crazy Story,” released in 2018, drew widespread attention for its detailed, linear narrative of a robbery and shootout, and many hip‑hop outlets highlighted the song as a showcase of his storytelling ability…