"Took Her to the O" is a song by American rapper King Von released on February 21, 2020, through labels Only the Family and Empire representing the third and last single extracted from his second mixtape Levon James (2020). The song was written by Von and Chopsquad DJ, with the latter solely producing the beat.[1] The song is among Von's most popular.[2][3] The song is a drill track. The song received positive reviews from music critics, with many praising it for the detail-rich approach to storytelling.[4][5]
The song peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100,[6][7] On February 14, 2023, was certified triple platinum by Recording Industry Association of America having sold more than 3 million certified units since its release,[8] along with having received a silver certification by British Phonographic Industry on November 3, 2023, having sold more than two hundred thousand copies in the United Kingdom.[9]
"Took Her to the O" is one of King Von's favorite among all the songs of the project Levon James.[10] In an interview for XXL MAG, King Von revealed to have written most of the song lyrics while he was locked up in jail.[11]
Composition
The song finds King Von rapping with aggressive energy and hard-hitting flows associated with a simple but catchy and memorable hook,[3] all this over a "sinister, piano-led drill beat".[1] The lyrics are developed with a storytelling technique characterized by a very explicit and raw style.[12]
"Took Her to the O" was described as a dark and intense song that vividly portrays the harsh realities of life on the streets. The song's lyrics were defined as both graphic and disturbing, painting a bleak picture of a world where violence and aggression are a necessary part of survival. It even deals with themes of violence, crime, and street culture, portraying the same King Von as a tough and ruthless character who is willing to take matters into his own hands in order to protect himself. The lyrics also suggest a sense of loyalty and street justice.[12]
The story is romanced in detail, and Von depicted him as the protagonist in it, riding in a car and seducing a girl, "a stripper" from Kankakee that he met before at the store,[13][4] the seduction goes wrong as Bennett has to deal with a man named "Duck" which confronts him leading the situation to become violent with the man throwing a brick to Von's car and forcing him to take his immediate revenge on "Duck";[12] the man is heavily implied to be the real life and late rapper FBG Duck, whom Von knew personally and was from his rival neighborhood.[1] The story ends with Von taking the girl to "the O", which most likely refers to Parkway Garden Homes a.k.a. "O'Block", an apartment complex in Chicago on 6400 block of South King Drive where Bennett grew up.[13][14]
King Von also employs a line that recalls to his most famous catchphrase "We not from 63rd" which he introduced in his breakout single Crazy Story[15][16] but in this case he adapted it to the story with the following verse “I know you mad ’cause I smoked your mans, left him on the curb/She started laughin’, she said, “F*** that nigga, he from 63rd.”[14]
King Von explained in detail his lyrics on "Took Her to the O" song, appearing On 21 March 2020, in a YouTube video for Genius.[17][18]
Music video
The music video was released alongside the single on February 21, 2020. It was directed by Joan Pabon[1][19] with the collaboration of "Blanksquare Productions" for shooting the interior scenes, that were filmed in Los Angeles at "FilmstudioLA".[20] In it, King Von recounts the story to his Therapist through rapping the song, between shots of Von and his therapist getting down to DJ's beat, and with intercutting scenes from the narrative.[1]
King Von also recorded a live piano session of the song concurrently with "Why He Told" song for Audiomack, that was released with a video on August 13, 2020, on YouTube.[21]
Critical reception
Mark Braboy that wrote for Complex, defined songs like "Took Her to the O" and the "Crazy Story" series 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.[5] Will Schube of NPR noted that King Von's artistry is marked by his ability to craft vivid narratives, blending a stark, dead-eye nihilism with humor and empathy in his rhymes; and that this distinctive style is exemplified right in "Took Her to the O".[4]
