At the age of 12, Daniel James, aka “Lil Dee Raps,” knew exactly what he’d be doing in 10 years — rapping, and at a high level.
The social media star has gained traction throughout his career and is just getting started at the age of 21. With 300,000 followers on Instagram, Danny James is chasing greatness — looking to be an icon of New York City.
“Without the influences of just New York City and everything around it, I probably would not have the identity that I do,” said James. “I don’t even know who I would be. Like being from New York is like my main character trait.”
James has performed at world-renowned venues like Radio City Music Hall, opened for big names like Rick Ross and Ghostface Killah, and has been co-signed by rap legends such as Redman, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane and Benny the Butcher — all while he was in high school.
At 14 years old, he was marked as the youngest rapper to ever perform at the legendary Lyricist Lounge. Dee has so far released three EPs, several singles that vary in versatility and subject matter, and has been featured on songs with heavy hitters like Kool G Rap, Nems, J Dilla and RJ Payne, just to name a few.
Lil Dee Raps
James has built his career off his freestyle abilities, growing his Instagram following with short videos showing off his talents. One of his most viral moments came on Feb. 27, 2025, where he freestyled over a classic Mobb Deep beat, with the video circulating over 2 million views, 80,000 likes and 1,200 comments.
His latest drop — “Welcome To Brooklyn” — is set to deliver something the fourth-largest city in the country if it were its own has been missing for decades: a true anthem.
“I feel like every artist that has come up in Brooklyn has a Brooklyn anthem to give back to the borough that made them what they are,” said Dee.
Lil Dee is a native of Coney Island, one of the most historic locations in the borough of Brooklyn, growing up around different icons like Stephon Marbury and many other Knicks legends.
He first gained significant attention when he posted a freestyle inspired by the team’s energy after acquiring OG Anunoby, later releasing a freestyle titled “The Mecca (Knicks Freestyle),” putting his name on the map as a face of the Knicks fandom.
“My Knicks commercial that I have that runs during the games has changed my life,” said Dee. “Like so many people that would have never known who I am… will see me… and just yell, ‘Let’s go Knicks!’”
Lil Dee RapsPhoto by Dylan Christie
Lil Dee has remained humble through the entire process, knowing that every moment is a landmark in his career — even moments meeting other artists, including when he got to meet legendary rapper Jay-Z. Like Dee, Jay-Z grew up in Brooklyn — arguably the most iconic artist to ever come out of New York.
“The most notable would have to be like Jay-Z recently at the 40/40 Club at Fanatics Fest… he knew who I was. And the fact that he knew who I was — he’s my favorite rapper of all time… moments like that just tell me I’m doing something right and make me keep pushing forward.”
At just 21, Lil Dee is still getting started, with the goal of not only growing into one of the biggest artists in the Tri-State area, but becoming a household name.
“In five years, I hope to be one of, if not the biggest artist in Brooklyn at that moment… I’m genuinely planning to be a mainstream household name.”