Throwing his weight behind his forceful delivery as he delivers gleefulness put-downs and taunts, King Von knows exactly who he is. Raising his energy level in a new single with Fivio Foreign, Von shares “I Am What I Am.”
Produced by Von’s regular collaborator Chopsquad DJ, who borrows BK’s signature sliding 808s and apocalyptic synths, “I Am What I Am” combines the styles of original recipe Chicago drill and it’s UK-informed Brooklyn offshoot. Confident in themselves and what they represent for their cities, the emcees trade bars as they promise a bad time for anyone who looks at them the wrong way. The song is almost maniacally propulsive, driven by Fivio’s wild ad-libs and Von’s ice cold hook, which has the internal logic of a street nursery rhyme: “I am what I am/What I’m not, I’ll never be…And if I should die, I’m pushing the murder rate/My n****s gon’ slide everyday/You been talkin’ that sh*t, I can’t wait.”
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Directed by Jerry Production, the video finds Von and Fivio bringing dozens of supporters to Von’s native O Block, as they sip Henny, count cash, and whip around in a Rolls Royce Wraith. The two emcees light up the block with their electric chemistry, evoking the chaotic DIY energy of the earliest Chicago and Brooklyn drill music videos.
