When he died a violent death in 2020, at the tender age of just 26, all those who appreciated his gangsta rapper mourned the loss of Dayvon Bennett, also known as King Von. To his hardcore fans in Chicago, he was known as V Roy. One of those admirers was Brooklyn rapper, producer, and vocalist Pesh Milli, and his new single, ‘V Roy’, is named in honour of the late King Von.
Pesh Milli’s sound is a mix of all kinds of hip-hop; he takes the grittiness of the East Coast, and blends it with the coolness of the West, and the full on exuberance of the Dirty South – and when he’s done he adds the hooks of pop-rap into the final mix. When it came to creating ‘V ROY’ however, he’s channelled pure Midwestern drill, with all its sleek, dangerous sound.
With kick drums that land like punches from a prize fighter, snares that skitter like machines on the blink, and piano chords that are both soothing and angrily menacing at the same time, all laid over with smoke-clouds of synths, you can in an instant appreciate that Pesh Milli has the skills to authentically replicate the sounds of Chicago hip hop.
‘V Roy’ follows on from Pesh Milli’s debut album, ‘OK 4 Now’, and while that was a clear demonstration of his talent, he turns it up to 11 with ‘V Roy’. The video, produced by Zipine, is colourful and kinetic, filled with circles, symbolic of life’s cycle. We see the round cone of the studio desk’s speaker, the circular knobs of the effects processors, and the gold disc on the wall, reminding us we’re dealing with talent here. Furthermore, we see Pesh Milli’s face, circled in frame by the hood of his hoodie, while the camera brings it all together by sweeping around the set in a great arc. So much symbolism, and a great way to honour a great artist.
You can watch the video for ‘V ROY’ below, and find out more about Pesh Milli online on Instagram, and TikTok.
