King Von's Real Name: Dayvon Daquan Bennett

Quick answer: King Von was born Dayvon Daquan Bennett on August 9, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. The drill rapper, signed to Lil Durk's Only the Family label, was known for vivid storytelling on "Crazy Story" and "Took Her to the O." He was fatally shot in Atlanta on November 6, 2020, at age 26, a week after releasing his debut album, Welcome to O'Block (Billboard; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "King Von, 1994-2020." Its citation describes King Von as the "professional name of Dayvon Daquan Bennett," born on August 9, 1994, in Chicago and died on November 6, 2020, in Atlanta. Billboard's obituary also gives his birth name as Dayvon Daquan Bennett. CNN and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified him by his legal name, Dayvon Bennett.

His representatives said he was "born and raised in Chicago's O'Block neighborhood" on the city's South Side, Billboard reported. Billboard says he was a childhood friend of rappers Lil Durk and Chief Keef. It also reports that he had legal troubles from his teens, including a 2014 murder charge in a Chicago-area shooting. He was not convicted; Billboard says he beat the case when witnesses did not testify.

Career highlights

Billboard says Bennett turned to music in 2017 and signed with Lil Durk's OTF label. He stood out on the 2018 compilation Only the Family Involved Vol. 2 with "Crazy Story," "War With Us," and "Man Down," and he released two follow-up versions of "Crazy Story" in 2019. His 2019 album Grandson, Vol. 1 included the autobiographical "What It's Like" and debuted at No. 75 on the Billboard 200.

In 2020 he released "Took Her to the O" and the mixtape Levon James, which featured Polo G, Lil Durk, and NLE Choppa. Billboard named him one of its 2020 hip-hop and R&B artists to watch. His debut studio album, Welcome to O'Block, came out on October 30, 2020. After his death it rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200, and four of his songs entered the Hot 100 for the first time, led by "Took Her to the O" at No. 47.

Death

According to the GBI, early on November 6, 2020, an argument between two groups in the parking lot of the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta escalated into gunfire. Atlanta police officers then fired shots. Two men died, Bennett and Mark Blakely, and others were wounded. Atlanta police said investigators believed Bennett was shot during the initial exchange between the two groups, before officers responded.

Name notes for searchers

"King Von" is a stage name built from his first name, Dayvon. Library records list Dayvon Daquan Bennett as his full name.