Last week, rising Chicago rapper King Von died after he was shot at an Atlanta nightclub. The artist’s passing came just a week after he released his latest project, Welcome To O’Block, which has now earned him the highest chart debut of his career.
On the Billboard 200 chart dated November 14, Welcome To O’Block makes its inaugural appearance just outside the top 10, at No. 13. This is the best placement Von has ever had on the chart. His 2019 project Grandson, Vol. 1 peaked at No. 75, while his other release from this year, Levon James, topped out at No. 63.
King Von posthumously debuts at No. 13 on this week's #Billboard200 chart, with 'Welcome To O'Block.'
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 9, 2020
Once Von’s hip-hop peers heard of his passing, there was an outpouring of public mourning. Lil Durk, one of his closest friends, shared a heartbroken message, writing, “MY TWIN GONE. I LOVE YOU BABY BRO – D ROY.” Plenty of other rappers chimed in as well.
Meanwhile, Von’s alleged murdered, 22-year-old Timothy Leeks, was arrested not long after the shooting and is now facing a felony murder charge. An Atlanta Police Department representative said prior to the arrest, “It is our understanding Dayvon Bennett, aka King Von, was shot and killed during this morning’s shooting and we are seeing rumors being spread indicating he was shot and killed by APD officers. At this time, our investigators believe Mr. Bennett was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting. Additionally, Mr. Bennett was not located at the scene, but arrived at a hospital shortly after the shooting, via private vehicle.”
