By Joseph Ferry

Warning: Some of the songs mentioned in this article contain profanity. 

The Chicago rapper Dayvon Daquan Bennet, known by the name King Von, was shot and killed on November 6. His death occurred in a shootout in Atlanta outside of the Monaco Hookah Lounge. At around 3:00 a.m., two groups got into an argument and shots were fired. Shortly after the shooting, police arrived on the scene and took three shooting victims to the hospital while also detaining two suspects. Another three shooting victims had left prior and gone to the hospital to seek treatment for bullet wounds. The shooting victims who unfortunately passed away were King Von and fellow Chicago native Mark Blakely. Timothy Leeks, a 22 year-old man who was also injured in the shooting, is believed to have shot Von.

Among the injured was Von’s manager, who goes by the name “Track.” He confirmed Von’s death shortly after the shooting, telling DJ Akademiks, who then posted this tweet:

 “It’s with great sadness that I have to confirm that King Von has passed away. I spoke with his manager who luckily has survived being shot and is currently recovering in the hospital. However, Von manager did confirm that Von was shot and did not make it. 😢 RIP King Von.”

The death came as a shock to the music industry, as King Von was beginning to gain traction towards fame. He released his first album, Grandson, Vol. 1, in September 2019, and Leveon James, his second, shortly after in March 2020. Just a week prior to his murder, Von had released his third studio album, titled Welcome to O’Block, on October 30. The name of this album gives reference to Von’s growing up on the South Side of Chicago. With features from Polo G, Lil Durk, Moneybagg Yo, Fivio Foreign, and more, Von’s growing influence was evident with these artists’ appearances on his album. 

Following his death, many key figures in music took to social media to express their regards for Von. Artists including Lil Durk, Chance the Rapper, Big Sean, Lil Yachty, Desiigner, Cordae, YG, and many others expressed their condolences. Von’s ex-girlfriend, Aisan Da Brat, delivered this heartfelt message: “I’ll never be the same I just hope you visit me in all my dreams I just wanna sleep so I can picture us again I just wanna close my eyes & never open then again…. Von I’m gone.”

Since Von’s death, his music has seen an enormous uptick in streams, music sales, and followers. Many who enjoy listening to rap may have heard his music once or twice before his death, but the media and buzz surrounding his murder generated Von many new fans. Prior to his death, Von never had a single reach the Billboard top 100. In the weeks following his death, four of his singles reached this benchmark. “Took her to the O,” a track from Levon James, has experienced the most success since his passing. The song reached 47 on the charts, as streams went up by nearly 12 million (a 256% increase) in a single week. In addition to his singles charting well, Von’s three albums reached their streaming peaks, with Welcome to the O’Block at 5, Levon James at 39, and Grandson Vol. 1 at 52. It is worth noting that in Welcome to the O’Block’s first week, the equivalent of 26,000 units were sold, and after Von’s death, it saw a major increase of 44,000 units.

Welcome To O’Block album cover. Image credit: Only the Family Entertainment and Empire Distribution.

Grayson Boyd (‘21) is one fan interested in Von’s music after his death. He said, “I didn’t really know who he was, but after he died, I listened to his songs.”

The phenomenon of artists having popularity increase after their passing is not uncommon. Legendary musicians such as Michael Jackson, Prince, and Tupac Shakur each had posthumous albums that have achieved millions of album sales. More recently, the Brooklyn Drill Rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed in a home invasion on February 19, also during his rise to fame. This summer, 50 Cent executively produced Smoke’s posthumous album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, and the album has experienced immense success and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. 

While Von’s death is a tragedy, his criminal record was never clean. The influence of gangs from Chicago to Atlanta followed him, and Von had been involved in violence before. In February 2019, Von and fellow Chicago rapper Lil Durk were involved in shooting a man and stealing $30,000. In an interview prior to his death, Von explained he enjoyed living in Chicago, but “the police know me too well in Chicago, and there are people that don’t like me.” Von was referring to the gangs and widespread violence in his home city that forced him to live in Atlanta, where he hoped to focus on rapping.

Von showing off jewelry that he earned through success in music. Photo credit: Michael Saponara/Billboard.

Von will be remembered as a talented rapper who’s life was lost too early on his track to success. “It is a shame that he died so early in his career, he could reached the top,” says Matthew Rowe (‘21). In his passing, he leaves behind two children, two brothers, and a sister. He will be dearly missed, but his family will be cared for, as Von was smart in his business dealings. Von owned the royalties to all of his music and had never sold his publishing rights. When referring to the fact that Von owned his music, his manager stated: “It’s a blessing from God, because his kids and his family will be good for the rest of they life.