DawgVille

DawgVille, born Thanyani Dennis Ntelane, is a 20-year-old South African artist residing in Clayville, Tembisa, who has been active in the music scene since the age of 15, when he released his first official track.

Before stepping into music, he discovered his creative spark through a deep love for reading novels, often immersing himself in the vivid worlds crafted by authors. One of his favorite childhood reads was Fish in the Sky by Fridrick Erlings, a book that would later inspire his artistry.

His passion for music began to take shape around the age of 12, when he would freestyle playful, unstructured lyrics and record them with his younger cousin, sharing the recordings on SoundCloud. At 13, approaching 14, he met UK-based artist Buji Baddo, who introduced him to introspective rap and encouraged him to channel his emotions into written lyrics. This moment marked a turning point, as he began to take songwriting seriously and quickly realized his natural talent.

At 15, he released his first music under the alias Dawg Shxt, a name that reflected his raw, energetic artistic identity at the time. His debut release, Outside Space, was followed by tracks such as In My Image and Wabi-Sabi. His final release under the name, Thi$ Lo$t LoVe, became a milestone, surpassing 3,000 streams across platforms and marking his early breakthrough.

At 17, he rebranded to dawgVille, symbolizing personal and artistic growth, transitioning into a more refined and mature creative direction. During this period, he founded Demonz in the Backseat Records and signed fellow artist Neuro.mantic. Under the label, he released Folie à Deux, further establishing his evolving sound.

Expanding his creative vision beyond music, he launched Demonz in the Backseat Films, where he collaborated with his older cousin to produce a cinematic music film for Folie à Deux. That same year, he performed live for the first time, marking another significant milestone in his career.

The following year, he released a three-track EP titled Speak Softly, Love., which included the standout track D.W.S.T.S..., gaining notable attention and accompanied by a music video. He also directed a cinematic music film for artist Flanity’s Bonkers, which received praise for its originality and message.

Continuing to refine his artistic identity, he released the abstract hip-hop single Fish in the Sky, a tribute to his childhood literary inspiration, alongside accompanying visuals and live performances.

On September 30, 2025, dawgVille released his eight-track EP September., a project that solidified his signature sound. The project included visuals for the title track, further showcasing his commitment to visual storytelling.

In 2026, he began the year with momentum, releasing an 11-track EP titled Sunset City., along with live performances that continued to build his presence. He also expanded his visual portfolio by shooting visuals for fellow artist Lil Steelers and releasing an animated video for Hold You Tight., created in collaboration with PlanetCore Animations.

Beyond music and film, dawgVille has ventured into fashion, launching merchandise for Demonz in the Backseat and releasing the label’s first...