“That sh*t broke my heart.” The words hung heavy in the air as G Herbo, one of drill rap’s most resilient voices, crumbled during a raw interview on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast. The 30-year-old rapper—real name Herbert Wright III—opened up about the moment he watched footage of his close friend and collaborator King Von being fatally shot in Atlanta on November 6, 2020. “I’m not a stranger to death,” Herbo admitted, his voice cracking as tears welled. What followed wasn’t the hardened bravado fans expect from Chicago’s streets—it was unfiltered grief, vivid memory, and a painful reckoning with a life shadowed by loss. The episode, released January 5, 2026, has already amassed 12 million views, sparking an outpouring of empathy across hip-hop.
Herbo and Von (Dayvon Bennett) shared more than music; they were brothers in the struggle, rising from O’Block’s chaos through Lil Durk’s OTF label. Von’s storytelling—raw tales on tracks like “Crazy Story”—complemented Herbo’s introspective bars. Their bond deepened during tours and studio sessions, Herbo mentoring the younger artist. When Von was killed in a shootout outside an Atlanta nightclub—stemming from a feud with Quando Rondo’s crew—Herbo was devastated but initially stoic in public. “I had to hold it together for the team,” he told Sharpe. But watching the security footage later shattered that armor.
“I saw it all—the argument, the shots, him falling,” Herbo recounted, pausing as emotion overtook him. “That sh*t broke my heart because I knew he was fighting till the end. Von wasn’t scared; he was built for it. But seeing my brother go down like that… it hit different.” Tears streamed as he described replaying the video alone, searching for “what ifs”—could he have been there? Warned him? The confession humanized Herbo, whose career has navigated prison stints, PTSD advocacy, and fatherhood to three children.
Sharpe, the NFL Hall of Famer turned podcaster, provided space for vulnerability: “You’ve lost so many—how do you keep going?” Herbo replied, “You don’t. You just survive. But Von? That one lingers.” He reflected on Chicago’s violence—over 800 homicides in 2020 alone—saying, “Death’s normal, but losing family ain’t.” The interview touched on Herbo’s growth: Therapy, his PTSD foundation, and mentoring youth away from streets.
Fans flooded social media with support: #GHerboConfession trending globally, clips viewed 50 million times. “Seeing Herbo cry broke me—real men grieve too,” one tweeted. Durk posted a heart emoji; Quando Rondo stayed silent amid ongoing sensitivities. The episode highlights drill’s toll—Von one of dozens lost to feuds.
Herbo’s vulnerability echoes peers like Meek Mill’s reform advocacy. “I’m healing out loud now,” he said. In hip-hop’s machismo, this confession is revolutionary—grief as strength. As Club Shay Shay cements its cultural status, Herbo’s breakdown reminds: Behind beats and bravado, pain pulses. “That sh*t broke my heart”—words that heal as they hurt.
