King Von’s new album Welcome To O’Block debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 this week — his highest-charting debut ever. Sadly, the Chicago native is not here to celebrate the accomplishment, as he was fatally shot in Atlanta last week.
Fans took to Twitter to applaud Von’s posthumous accomplishment in wake of his recent passing. Welcome To O’Block saw collaborations with Polo G, Lil Durk, Prince Dre, Dreezy, Moneybagg Yo and Fivio Foreign — several of whom paid tribute to Von over the weekend. The album was released on Oct. 30 and sold just over 25,000 units last week. It’s expected to see a bump in sales this week, following his death.
Von was reported to be in critical condition following the shooting, which took place outside of a nightclub early Friday morning (Nov. 6). Later in the day, it was tragically confirmed that he had passed away.
“We are devastated by the untimely passing of King Von,” his record label, EMPIRE, wrote in a statement. “He was a loving father, dedicated member of his community and an amazing talent that just started to scratch the surface of his boundless potential. Von overcame incredibly challenging circumstances as a young man, but never lost sight of what it meant to give back and uplift his community – O’Block.”
“We are fortunate to have witnessed his growth and evolution, but know he had so much more to give to the world,” it continued. “The EMPIRE family offers our condolences to his family, friends, team and fans during this very difficult time.”
According to the Atlanta police chief, two others were also killed in the shooting. One person who survived the incident was Von’s manager, who has since spoken out about his death.
Rest in peace, King Von. Revisit Welcome To O’Block below.