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Late rapper King Von's mural in Chicago was recently taken down. The mural was vandalized last month following the arrest of Lil Durk, who was reportedly associated with the murder attempt on Quando Rondo in 2022.
Durk and Rondo were having problems with each other after Von was allegedly shot dead by one of the latter's associates in 2020. Durk reportedly began planning Rondo's murder, and Rondo's cousin Lul Pab lost his life in the incident, as per Billboard.
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DJ Akademiks shared a video on his Instagram page where the mural was missing on the wall of Parkway Supermarket. The clip, recorded from inside a car, shows a man seemingly painting at the same spot where the mural was originally painted.
While the reasons behind King Von's mural removal are yet to be disclosed, netizens took to the comments section of Akademiks' social media post to share their reactions. One of them also wrote:
A few people claimed that the mural was getting repainted. Many expressed their dissatisfaction over the mural's removal, with a person saying that the mural was the reason he went to Chicago. Another individual wrote that he expects a new mural to come up at the same place.
King Von's mural featured him wearing his popular chain
Artist Chris Devins painted the mural in 2021 on the side of Parkway Supermarket on a local street called King Drive, as per Block Club Chicago. It featured King Von on a chair wearing a chain with the words "O Block." The mural was recently damaged when someone used red graffiti to write, "Andy [heart emoji] Suki."
While the authorities did not respond to the damage to the mural, social media platforms were flooded with reactions, where people questioned the role of the police department and locals who were watching the mural frequently.
The mural faced much criticism initially, and the owner of Parkway Supermarket was reportedly threatened after the painting was revealed. According to Block Club Chicago, a similar situation was faced by the founder of the Mural Movement, Delilah Martinez, who assisted in organizing the painting.
The police also requested that the mural be shifted to another spot after a random person allegedly fired shots while King Von's birthday was being celebrated at a nearby location. Director of Public Engagement Glen Brooks claimed that an individual's behavior might get dangerous around such paintings.
Brooks mentioned that they were concerned for public safety and violent acts.
"Saying that, we want to look at how we can ensure the safety of the community while people exercise their First Amendment [rights]. Both things are things we are working to protect," Brooks added.
Also known as Dayvon Daquan Bennett, King Von was 26 years old at the time of his death. He had three albums in his credits, including What It Means to Be King and Grandson, which were released after his demise.
