Background and career
Dayvon Daquan Bennett (August 9, 1994 – November 6, 2020), known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and street gangster from Chicago, Illinois. He was affiliated with the Black Disciples gang of South Side, Chicago, and was an exemplary figure of drill music, a subcategory of hip-hop originating from the area. Bennett gained recognition for his storytelling and vivid lyricism, noted by critics on his 2018 single "Crazy Story". Prior to its release, he signed with fellow Chicagoan Lil Durk's label Only the Family, through which he released his debut mixtape Grandson, Vol. 1 (2019), and its follow-up Levon James (2020), both of which moderately entered the Billboard 200 as independent releases. "Crazy Story", along with his 2020 single "Took Her to the O", received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The latter became his first solo Billboard Hot 100 entry and preceded his debut studio album, Welcome to O'Block (2020), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.
On November 6, 2020, Bennett was fatally shot in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 26, following an altercation outside a hookah lounge. His second album and first posthumous release, What It Means to Be King (2022), debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, as did his third album and final posthumous release, Grandson (2023).
Dayvon Daquan Bennett was born on August 9, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. He had six half-siblings from his father, Walter E. Bennett, and three siblings from his mother, Taesha. He was raised mostly by his mother in the Parkway Garden Homes, an area more commonly known as "O'Block", located on Chicago's South Side within the Greater Grand Crossing community area. His relationship with his father was inconsistent due to his father's incarcerations. When Von was 10 years old, his father was killed by an unseen gunman. Von later paid tribute to his father in multiple songs. Bennett was present for the birth of drill music through his association with Chief Keef and Lil Durk. However, he was frequently incarcerated throughout the 2010s for a multitude of serious criminal charges, which made him known in Chicago's drill scene even before he began recording music. At age 16, Bennett went to juvenile detention for armed robbery in January 2011. While incarcerated, Bennett earned his GED.
After being released, Bennett attended a few classes at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, before dropping out. In July 2014, Bennett was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with a shooting that killed one and injured two others. After being detained in the Cook County jail for over three years, he was acquitted in December 2017 and began his musical career.
