The Death of King Von

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Malachi Hatfield, Reporter

Rappers might be the only people who can “make it out” and still have a target on their back every time they step outside. Young rappers seem to be dying every other day, and many have died in recent years. Last Friday, Chicago rapper King Von was added to the list.

The 26-year-old was shot following an altercation between two groups of men outside of a hookah lounge in Atlanta, Georgia at about 3:30 A.M. on Friday, fellow rapper Quando Rando being part of the other group of men involved. Von was one of two people fatally shot; however, four others were wounded. After he was shot, he was taken to a nearby hospital, via private vehicle. He was pronounced dead later that day.

The shooter has been identified as 22-year-old Timothy Leeks. “Leeks is in police custody at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, where he is receiving treatment for a gunshot wound,” according to the Atlanta Police Department.

Von had a huge following, and he was known for his skilled storytelling in his raps. He tells very detailed stories in many of his songs, songs like ‘Took Her To The O’ and his ‘Crazy Story’ trilogy are great examples of this. ‘Took Her To the O’ is easily Von’s most popular song with 27,341,273 plays on Spotify.

His music and reputation gave him a sort of untouchable image where you felt like he was immortal. He had not only become an icon in the neighborhood where he grew up, but in Chicago as a whole. He had “made it out,” but was still a victim of gun violence. This shows how big of a target rappers carry on their back. They have to carry a certain image, and that image can sometimes be dangerous.