“Rose Gold” by PnB Rock (ft. King Von)

The title of this song (“Rose gold”), as utilized in the chorus, apparently alludes to an expensive type of watch. And yes, as to be expected wealth is one of the main subthemes of the lyrics. There are also the hip-hop quintessential references to sex, drugs and gun violence, with the latter we can say enjoying a special emphasis. But of course what truly makes this track unique is that it serves as one of the first songs featuring the late King Von (1994-2020) posthumously. And it is not clear if “Rose Gold” was recorded in its entirety prior to his passing. But going back to the gun violence, it is built largely upon a motif of death – not of enemies as much as homeys of the rappers and even King Von himself.

Indeed Von sets off his verse by referencing his own death. However, he does so to lay the foundation for the true sentiment at hand, which is that throughout his life he has always kept it real, so to speak. Von also goes on to notably reference his homey Roy who himself was murdered in 2017. And basically by the time his verse is said and done, King does leave the impression that he has in fact lived that life.

PnB Rock takes Over

Meanwhile going back to PnB Rock’s chorus, the vocalist also references a “Cartier skeleton”. This is of course another allusion to his unenviable wealth, as Cartier is one of the most-recognizable luxury jewelry brands in the world. But it is also another acknowledgement of the death of homeys and has further been interpreted as a direct posthumous shoutout to King Von. 

Indeed PnB proceeds to further elaborate on how he memorializes his dead comrades. For instance, he may tattoo some type of acknowledgement of them on his back. And overall what he is also saying is that he is the ride-or-die type. In other words, he always has his partners’ backs, “whether right or wrong”.

And that expression is not only a statement of love but also, once again, points to the dual-nature of “Rose Gold”. The vocalists know that the lifestyle they live is sort of a life-and-death affair. Moreover, it is not every time that their street exploits conclude favorably on their end. But still until the day they actually do end up in the grave, they are dedicated to living fast, hard and true to their ‘hood ethics and accordingly dealing with all that this way of life brings with it.

Facts about “Rose Gold”

King Von’s lyrical contribution to this track is one he recorded shortly before being killed in a shootout in the early part of November 2020. The rapper was only just 26 years old when he was killed.

PnB Rock, who hails from Philly and King Von, a Chi-town rapper met through a mutual friend, another Chicago-based rapper named Lil Durk. And the two vocalists went on to form, according to PnB Rock’s words, a genuine “brotherhood”.

Atlantic Records put forth “Rose Gold” on 19 January 2021, about two months after King Von met his fate on 6 November 2020. However, it is not the first of his posthumous tracks. The aforementioned Lil Durk dropped an entire album, entitled “The Voice”, in December of 2020 in tribute to King Von. And said project also featured a collaboration with Von entitled “Still Trappin”.

Based on comments left on the Reddit board RapLeaks (additionally supported by the timestamping on the “Rose Gold” Genius page), it appears this track leaked about a month before it was officially released.

The music video to “Rose Gold” was filmed in Parkway Gardens, the part of South Side Chicago where King Von grew up.  And the clip consists of PnB Rock performing alongside a group of King Von’s homeys. And they use the opportunity to pay tribute to the late rapper.

The producers of this track are as follows:

• London Jae
• DJ Young Pharaoh
• IRoccOnTheBeat

And the three producers mentioned above also receive writing credits for this song. The trio penned “Rose Gold” alongside its primary artists PnB Rock and the late King Von.

PnB Rock heavily utilizes autotune on his vocals throughout this song.