King Von can’t be stopped from rapping. Whether he’s in jail or in Atlanta, hiding out from the police in his hometown of Chicago, Von won’t be silenced. The rapper (born Dayvon Daquan Bennett in 1994) has been in and out of prison for the majority of his adult life, but since focusing full-time on rapping in 2018, he has worked more intensely on protecting his career. A 2019 shooting involving Von and his label boss, Lil Durk, sent the MC back to prison, but time behind bars didn’t make Bennett any less productive. His 2020 post-drill smash, “Took Her to the O,” was originally recorded on his phone and shown to producer Chop Squad DJ, who tailored the beat to Von’s sketch. The song, like so many of the rapper’s hits, plays on the first generation of Chicago drill, infusing the style with a unique perspective forged on the Windy City’s streets. Elsewhere, like on his breakthrough single, 2018’s “Crazy Story,” Von uses a smooth, consistent flow and geographical specifics to separate himself from other Chi-town drill stars like Chief Keef, G Herbo, and Lil Bibby. On “See Me Make It” from 2020’s Levon James, Von raps, “Late night in the stu', I'm recordin'/Gotta think twice 'cause I got a couple shorties,” reminding us that, while he can write from anywhere, the studio is certainly more comfortable than the cold concrete floor of a cell.