King Von made an immeasurable impact in his short career, immortalizing O-Block with his visceral and detailed storytelling. Today, King Von’s estate shares “Robberies,” a cinematic music video that brings one of Von’s singular stories to life. Produced by ATL Jacob, “Robberies” is a gripping narrative fit for the crime novels that inspired Von to tell tales of his own. The song vibrates with the propulsive action and fine detail for which Von is known, chronicling his every move during the titular lick, pausing for a moment to note the music playing out of his opps’ stereo during the fateful night. Throughout, Von’s emotional delivery and raw lyrics reflect the narrator’s desperation as he turns to illicit measures to ensure his survival: “I ain’t got new money, what am I gon do now?/Gotta eat to survive/I ain’t got no money, what’m I gon’ do cry?/In the streets you would die.”
Directed by Rook, the “Robberies” video brings Von’s crazy story to life. It starts as a novel pulled off the shelf by an inmate at a correctional facility, before the perspective shifts to the protagonist as he hits his lick. The video uses artful camera angles to evoke the late rapper’s silhouette, filming action artful enough to be a crime drama. The video ends with a young man contemplating how to survive in the streets, Von’s lyrics animating his thoughts as he decides to pick up his strap and take matters into his own hands.
“Robberies” is the first new song to surface after Von’s acclaimed posthumous album What It Means To Be King, released in March 2022. A labor of love that compiles unheard music from the artist’s oeuvre, What It Means To Be King features contributions from many of the people who knew Von best, including regular producer and collaborator Chopsquad DJ, his “twin” Lil Durk, and fellow O’Block natives like Boss Top and DqFrmDaO, along with street rap heroes like like 21 Savage, Moneybagg Yo, G Herbo, and more, making plain the level of respect Von commanded in the rap game at large. What It Means To Be King is home to “Don’t Play That” ft. 21 Savage, one of Von’s most successful singles to date, reaching #40 on the Billboard Hot 100, climbing into the Top 10 of the Hot Rap Songs chart, and compiling 55 million streams on Spotify alone. The album made a massive splash when it debuted in March 2022, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 behind 59k first-week album-equivalent units sold, en route to hundreds of millions of streams to date across platforms.
Stay tuned for more announcements about new music by King Von.
© 2023, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
