Crazy Story
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| "Crazy Story" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by King Von | ||||
| from the album Grandson, Vol. 1 | ||||
| Released | December 6, 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:26 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Dayvon Bennett | |||
| Producer(s) | Mac Fly | |||
| King Von singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Crazy Story (Official Music Video)" on YouTube | ||||
| "Crazy Story (OTF)" on YouTube | ||||
| "Crazy Story (Remix)" on YouTube | ||||
| Remix cover | ||||
 Cover art of the "Crazy Story 2.0" featuring Lil Durk. | ||||
"Crazy Story" is a song by American rapper King Von, released on December 6, 2018, as his debut single through Only the Family and Empire Distribution.[1] The song is one of Von's most popular songs and it is considered his breakout hit.[2] It was followed by two sequels: "Crazy Story 2.0" and "Crazy Story, Pt. 3". All three singles appear on Von's mixtape Grandson, Vol. 1 (2019), while "Crazy Story" was included on Only The Family mixtape Only The Family Involved Vol. 2.[3]
"Crazy Story" currently has more than 104 million views on Von's official YouTube channel, as well as over 74 million on WorldStarHipHop's YouTube channel as of February 2023. The song peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100[4] and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 15, 2023 for selling more than 3 million certified units since its release.[5][6]
Background
[edit]The tune was recorded in 2018 when Bennett first signed to Lil Durk’s Only the Family label after being released from prison in 2017 with all charges dropped in an attempted murder and a murder case.[7] King Von revealed that he wrote the song while traveling from Atlanta to Chicago writing the lyrics without an actual instrumental. He completed the song while doing a studio session and adding a beat that fit the lyrics that he wrote previously.[8]
Composition
[edit]Bennett (Von's real surname) declared that the song lyrics draw on urban novels and on his own experiences.[9] It finds King Von rapping and detailing about his struggle in growing up in Chicago, all this over a drill-style instrumental that was produced by Mac Fly.[10] The story tells an eye-opening, plot-twisting tale of a robbery gone wrong, using his expert storytelling ability, Bennett mimics a conversational patter, packing his story with intimate and vivid details, but also building in digressions, all this using an adaptable flow and an intricate wordplay.[3][10][11][12][13] Bennett made several quotes on the song, among all he mentioned Snoop from The Wire television series, and he later revealed in an interview for Genius that he used to watch the series and that he liked the aforementioned character.[8][10]
Music video
[edit]In the video, King Von enthusiastically relates the story to his boys, intercut with dramatized clips of the gripping story.[3]
King Von recorded a live session of "Crazy Story" for Genius website participating at the format "Open Mic", that was released with an annexed video on March 10, 2020, on YouTube platform.[14]
Critical reception
[edit]"Crazy Story" received generally positive reviews from critics.[11][15] Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork praised Von's storytelling, especially the elements that make the story vivid and coherent and his ability to insert characters and dialogue in his verses with ease.[11] For Trey Alston by Vulture the song set the tone for Von’s career and raised the potential for surreal lyricism in drill.[13] Revolt Tv instead declared that "Crazy Story" represented an infectious hit that cemented Bennett as one of the best storytellers in hip hop with that record alone, thanks to dynamic flows in it and cadences coinciding with his storytelling, also taking drill music to greater heights.[16] While Mark Braboy that wrote for Complex, defined songs like those from "Crazy Story" series and "Took Her to the O" as pieces that brought back catchy narrative sing-alongs, reminiscent of what Slick Rick did with "Children's Story"; plus he defined King Von as thoughtful, skillful lyricist, and different from others Chicago drill artists as able to deliver it in a ferocious and resonating package that was unrivaled.[17] HotNewHipHop declared that “Crazy Story” created the foundations, that with his subsequent efforts, cemented him as one of drill’s great storytellers.[18] While Will Schube by npr wrote that the track encapsulates everything that made him the next voice of Chicago rap, being both witty and tragic, and stucked between justifying violence and lamenting the fact that it ever had to come to that.[19]
Aftermath
[edit]After the viral success, that perpetuated until the spring of 2020, "Crazy Story" had fans all over quoting the most famous catchphrase contained in the song's lyrics, "From 64th and 65th, we not from 63rd."[7]
Remix
[edit]The official remix of the song is titled "Crazy Story (Remix)" or "Crazy Story 2.0" and features American rapper Lil Durk. It was released on May 3, 2019.[20]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Global 200 (Billboard)[21] | 178 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 81 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] | 32 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[24] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "Crazy Story - Single by King Von". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ Seabrook III, Robby (March 4, 2020). "The Break Presents: King Von". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ a b c "Video: King Von – "Crazy Story"". AudibleTreats. December 11, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "King Von - CHART HISTORY". Billboard. November 21, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ Wootton, John (2019-09-24). "TEST SPIN | King Von — 'Grandson, Vol. 1'". The Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - KING VON - CRAZY STORY". RIAA. February 15, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "King Von Was One of Rap's Most Promising Stars. His Friends Want to Make Sure He Isn't Forgotten". Rolling Stone. March 4, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ a b "King Von Breaks Down The Meaning Of "Crazy Story"". Genius. March 25, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "Rising drill star King Von refines his storytelling and stunting on Levon James". Chicago Reader. April 10, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Check The Rhyme: Deconstructing King Von's "Crazy Story" Verse". Genius. April 22, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c Pierre, Alphonse (6 February 2019). "The Ones: King Von's "Crazy Story"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ "How Chicago Rapper King Von Will Be A Hit With 'Crazy Story'". PopsCulture. January 16, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ a b "The Drill Songs to Know A mini subgenre primer". Vulture. August 17, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "King Von Performs "Crazy Story" Live At Genius", Genius, August 13, 2020, retrieved November 11, 2023
- ^ "King Von Cemented Himself As One Of Drill's Great Storytellers On "Crazy Story"". HotNewHipHop. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
- ^ "Remembering King Von". Revolt Tv. September 11, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "King Von, Fearless Storyteller". Complex. November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "RIP King Von: O-Block's Trusted Narrator". HotNewHipHop. November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "King Von, Emerging Chicago Rapper, Dead At 26". NPR. November 6, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Lil Durk Lends His OTF Certification To King Von's "Crazy Story 2.0"". HotNewHipHop. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
- ^ "King Von Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "King Von Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "King Von Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "American single certifications – King Von – Crazy Story". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 16, 2023.