Daniel Ballesteros, an Ecuadorian-Mexican rapper living in New York, has transformed the city’s subway into his personal stage. Leaving behind a steady job in construction, Daniel took the bold step of pursuing music full-time, and now performs for daily commuters in the bustling underground.
It hasn’t been an easy journey. Alongside applause, he faces indifferent crowds and occasional harassment from police. But Daniel is no stranger to struggle.
“My art,” he says, “is a way of moving through life—a life that hasn’t always been kind to me.” Daniel grew up in a poor neighborhood in eastern Ecuador with five siblings. His mother left when they were young, and he and his five siblings were raised by their father.
Music has always been central to his life. As a child his mornings began with the sound of his father’s guitar, strumming the songs of Julio Jaramillo—the “Nightingale of the Americas” from Guayaquil—or José José, Mexico’s “Prince of Song.”
By the age of eight, Daniel was already writing rap lyrics to entertain his friends and impress the girls he liked at school. Two years later, as a result of his family’s financial struggles, he was forced to drop out of school, and began rapping on buses in exchange for small change.
Daniel first arrived in the United States at 17, but instead of settling, he chose to travel across Latin America. When he returned to New York, he found work in construction. Still, his love for rap eventually pulled him back to music—and to the subway, where he reclaimed his voice.
A turning point came when a video of one of his subway performances went viral. Practically overnight, his music reached thousands, opening doors to perform at clubs and concerts across the city. Collaborations with fellow subway musicians and encounters with artists from around the world continue to enrich Daniel’s path. He is a rapper who, against all odds, refuses to give up on his dream of sharing his music with the world.
