5 best King Von tracks

The late Chicago rapper King Von is one of the most popular and controversial figures to come out of the Chicago drill rap scene in the last half-decade. Dayvon Bennett (A.K.A. King Von) was a Chicago native rapper and songwriter that became famous for the vivid and often gruesome storytelling detailing street life in the Windy City.

Von initially broke through in mainstream rap in the late 2010s after signing with fellow Chicago rapper Lil Durk's label Only the Family. The song that broke Von into rap's mainstream was "Crazy Story", which released in December 2018.

Over the next 18 months, Von would release two mixtapes and one album that saw him gain more traction as one of the rising stars in the drill and gangsta rap subgenres. Unfortunately, though, Von had his life cut short on Nov. 6, 2020, when he was shot and killed in Atlanta, GA.

Von was one of the rising stars in drill rap in the late 2010s and with the release of his debut studio album Welcome to O'Block in the fall of 2020. But his ascent to the mainstream of the rap genre didn't come without its fair share of controversies. Even before his rise to fame as a rapper in the late 2010s, Bennett consistently found himself in the midst of legal issues.

The most recent addition to Von's legacy arrived in the summer of 2022, with the first posthumous release in his catalog and second studio album titled What It Means To Be King.

5 best King Von tracks in his discography

Here's a look at the five best tracks from the Chicago drill rapper King Von.

Honorable mentions

"Don't Play That" (feat. 21 Savage)

"Don't Play That" featuring 21 Savage was the first lead single released ahead of King Von's first posthumous album What It Means To Be King. This song is an interesting vibe change for Von, who takes more of a chill and laid back approach in his verses in "Don't Play That", which compliments 21's more mellow trap style really well.

In a catalog of singles that brings a ton of energy and emphatic storytelling, the more mellow vibe on "Don't Play That" makes it stand out in a unique way.

What It's Like

One of the best tracks off King Von's debut mixtape Grandson, Vol. 1 was a deep cut that talked about the struggles of someone on the streets in America, called "What It's Like". Von's writing and rapping ability are put on full display on this track, which is one of the deepest of the early projects in his catalog.

Why He Told

Another deep cut from Von's catalog came from his debut studio album Welcome to O'Block called "Why He Told". This song references Von's 2014 arrest for the alleged murder of Malcolm Stuckey in Chicago. Von digs deep into his experience in that case with fellow gang member Michael Wade, who was ultimately charged in the Stuckey murder case.

5. Took Her To The O

A huge hit in Von's catalog, "Took Her To The O" was an instant hit after it dropped as one of the lead singles to his 2020 mixtape Levon James. Not only is this the Von song with the most Spotify streams, but it is also the most popular song of his on YouTube by a good margin.

"Took Her To The O" has more than 300 million plays on Spotify and more than 200 million views on the music video on YouTube. It is also three-times RIAA certified platinum.

This isn't the the most substantive or lyrically-inspired song we've heard from Von. But the hard-hitting flows and simple but catchy and memorable hook makes it a staple in his catalog.