Dutchavelli

Stephan Allen, professionally known as Dutchavelli, was born on November 11, 1993, in Birmingham, England, to parents of Jamaican descent. He is the fourth of seven children, including his sister, rapper Stefflon Don. His early years were spent in Rotterdam, Netherlands, which partially inspired his stage name. Around a decade later, his family relocated to Clapton in Hackney, East London. During his upbringing, music from various genres, including Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin, was a significant part of his family life. His musical aspirations faced an early setback when he received a six-month prison sentence at age 17 for an unspecified offense.

Dutchavelli commenced his music career under the name ‘Dutch’ in 2016, releasing tracks such as ‘New Jack City’ and making appearances on Rinse FM. His career experienced another interruption due to legal issues in 2018, which involved an armed robbery and stabbing charge. Although he was later acquitted of the primary charge, he was convicted of perverting the course of justice and sentenced to 22 months. Following his release on license, Dutchavelli gained substantial recognition in 2020. This period was marked by the release of ‘Only If You Knew,’ which accumulated 20 million views within eight months. Subsequent hits like ‘Surely’ and collaborations with artists such as Stormzy and M Huncho solidified his position as a notable emerging talent within the drill music scene.

His career progression continued with his mixtape ‘Dutch from the 5th,’ released on November 6, 2020, which peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver by the BPI. He has achieved Top 40 singles, including ‘I Dunno,’ which featured Tion Wayne and Stormzy and reached number 7 on the charts, earning a Platinum certification. Other chart successes include ‘Burning’ (Gold certified) and ‘808.’ Dutchavelli was also included in the BBC Sound of 2021 longlist, nominated by industry experts and artists.