King Von — Welcome to O’Block (Album Review)
The Chicago rap scene is by far one of the most commercialized areas of music in history. The historic Midwest city has spent the past decade wrapping up not only the hip-hop world, but the entire United States in what many would be view as one of the most contentious and dangerous areas in the world. And even more disheartening than the countless stories of senseless violence in the area, is the shockingly young ages of a high percentage of both the victims and the accused/convicted parties of the crimes that have impacted the area in such a negative way. But, even in the midst of the unfortunate negativity that has consumed a city of such importance, there has been one major breakthrough, that for better or worse, has cast the city into the music industry’s spotlight.
Chicago’s modern hip-hop sound, known as “drill’, has captivated rap music’s culture, highlighted by intense, violent, straight-forward and sometimes incriminatingly honest lyrics that only captivates fans who want to believe that a rapper is telling the truth in their lyrics. Coupled with the highly publicized stories of the MC’s and their alleged and sometimes confirmed criminal acts, some of the artists have become legendary figures regardless of their actual status in hip-hop’s ranks. Other artists have managed to become stars, standing next to the genre’s biggest acts, and placing their story and their city in the mainstream light. Artists such as Lil Durk, Chief Keef, Polo G, G Herbo, Lil Bibby, King Louie, FBG Duck, Lil Reese and Montana of 300 among others have become stars in their roles as storytellers of lifestyles filled with not only loss, grief, anger, violence and vengeance, but loyalty, confidence and determination, all elements the best MC’s display in their music. And for all of the respected, revered and notable drill music artist, there is one MC who had the promise to be the biggest star the scene had ever had, one who in a short time, managed to become one hip-hop most promising stars, and one of it’s most unfortunate tragedies.
King Von, a Chicago native, and more notably member of the city’s most polarizing neighborhood, O’Block, aptly named after a fallen member of one of the city’s notorious gangs. The neighborhood was made famous by the Aforementioned Chief Keef during his unprecedented rise to hip-hop stardom in the early 2010’s, culminating in one of hip-hop’s best debut albums and the introduction to a new wave of MC’s from the city along with their unique and impactful sound. Von, a close friend and affiliate of Lil Durk, burst onto the drill scene with the release of his 2018 single Crazy Story. The first-person account of a robbery attempt that goes wrong thanks to opposition from rival gang members. And while storytelling tracks are nothing new in hip-hop, the skillful depiction of the song combined with Von’s alleged track record in the streets ignited the song immediately, turning the then 24 year into an overnight sensation. If the execution of his song wasn’t impressive enough, the respect only grew when many casual fans learned that the young MC had just started rapping that very same year. The instant success was rewarded a year later when the single’s remix, the Lil Durk assisted Crazy Story 2.0 would peak at #4 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for 2019.
King Von would take advantage of the pulse had had on the hip-hop culture and only grow in notoriety, fame and skill as he released more music. His debut mixtape Grandson, Vol. 1 quickly let fans and doubters know that the success of his single wasn’t just the flash of a one hit wonder. And if there were still any hesitation to buy into his stardom then, it would be erased with the release of his publicized 2020 mixtape Levon James, which featured his 2nd commercial hit song Took Her to the O. Superstar status was clearly on the horizon for Von, as many hip-hop artists, forums, publications and critics alike showed love and appreciation for the story of who many viewed as a young man trying to navigate the perils of the rap game without any shortcuts. Non-committal to signing a major label deal, he chose to keep his work independent until the ideal partnership made sense for everyone involved. With momentum building from past success and the expected urgency from the hip-hop community, it was time to see if Von could deliver quality music with expectations attached to it. In the fall of 2020, he would deliver an effort reminiscent of the early work that drew fans into drill music in the place.
On October 30th, 2020, King Von would release his debut album Welcome to O’Block, distributed by EMPIRE records. In sixteen tracks yet only forty-three minutes of run time, he wastes no time and doesn’t stray from the brand in his first studio effort. The introductory track Armed & Dangerous is a blunt and brutally open recount of the events and moments that have helped turn a young kid into a man with a past that he’s not necessarily proud of but doesn’t apologize for either. The dates and family members mentioned easily show the listener that Von is not unaware of what his lifestyle has brought, and the prices paid for it. As entertaining as the song is, it paints almost too vivid of a picture of a world many will never experience or understand.
Throughout the album, there are several songs that display his charismatic storytelling and versatile delivery. The melodic and descriptive Demon is a explanation of the mentality of someone in his position, and what can take place to drive them into a hardened mindset. The painful and sobering Why He Told shows the fallout from an act of disloyalty coming from a trusted loved one. Tracks such as Can’t Relate and Ride give saddening and vivid insight into the gang lifestyle that young men such as Von have immersed themselves in for as long as they can recall.
As far as features go, King Von did not stray far out of his comfort zone, incorporating MC’s with various tones and flows, all while maintaining his patented aggression and confidence as he raps like a well-established veteran in the game. He enlists the help of one of hip-hop’s best feature selections in Moneybagg Yo for the fast paced Ain’t See It Coming, where the duo brag on the perks of their sudden and unexpected rise in hip-hop. In a clear change of the album’s direction, Von works through a failing relationship on the Dreezy assisted track Mad At You. Although the song is still aggressive in tone, it is a small showing of emotion by a young man who rarely showed weakness in his image.
Lil Durk makes his expected appearance on Von’s debut effort twice; First on the Tay Keith produced Back Again, a collaborative track with fellow Chicago and O’Block rapper Prince Dre. The track serves as a blatant shot at rival gangs without remorse or care about who takes issue with it. The second feature, which takes place on the track All These N****s, is the epitome drill scene in 2020: unapologetic, straightforward and hard hitting, while still showcasing pockets of lyrical content and direction. For perhaps the album’s most notable track, Von teams up with the next superstar product out of Chicago in the widely respected MC Polo G for the standout song The Code. An ode to the loyalty of the streets and gang culture, the two young MC’s sound anything but inexperienced as they perfectly complement each other’s styles on a song that is yet another display of the talent from the Windy City.
The album closes out with two songs that show just how adept Von had become in such a short time in the rap game. He talks to himself in second person, recounting his days in prison and the decisions he must make to stay out in the chilling How it Go. When doing research of his story, it’s a story worth making a movie of, as the odds of things panning out this way were seemingly zero to none, making it just that more impressive. The closing track, Wayne’s Story, is told in a more traditional way, but with Von’s tone and delivery, it has an original sound that grabs the listener’s attention from the opening bar. In a tragic tale of the never-ending cycle of war and revenge, he depicts the trials of a fourteen-year-old who opts for the gang lifestyle over school and sports. His lifestyle choices see him fall into the mindset of a shooter, and how those choices inspire retaliation rooted in sadness and hatred. As depressing as the subject matter is, the execution of the song is hard to ignore, as Von doesn’t waste a breath in delivering well written lyrics and a hook that is hard to ignore.
King Von made sure to put all he had into his debut album, with the hopes that the success stemming from it would catapult his career to new heights, giving him the means to take care of his family, friends and others who made sacrifices to see him succeed. However, like many before him, the roots of Chicago warfare run deep, and it only takes one moment for things to change in the most drastic of ways. On November 6, 2020, Von, was murdered during an altercation in Atlanta following an album release party for this debut project. The hip-hop community was shocked, as the 26-year-old was a surefire success story, just to have everything end over senseless violence. And although some saw the act as some sort of justified act due to Von’s past, there is no making light of a young life being taken because of beef or whatever means somebody uses to deem it okay.
There are no guarantees in life, especially when it comes to success, but there was a consensus in the hip-hop culture that King Von was hip-hop’s next young superstar, with a story that sounds tailormade for theatres. Welcome to O’Block is one of the most important projects in the city of Chicago’s history, and was one of the most impressive projects of 2020 overall. As unfortunate as Von’s passing is, there is hope that maybe it will one day inspire his peers to want more than to be just a feared member of a neighborhood, that it inspires them to be an influential figure, changing the direction of a city that clearly has talent, and simply needs the guidance and comradery to become the best version of itself. Rest in Peace, King Von.
Top 5 Songs:
1. Can’t Relate
2. Demon
3. The Code
4. How it Go
5. Ain’t See It Coming
