Daniel Sullivan's gift is communication.

That's why he became a rapper. And that's why he's helping a local scene of hip-hop artists to emerge in the Coachella Valley.

Sullivan comes from the Bay Area, a region saturated by graffiti, breakdancers and legendary rap artists.

“I grew up around the culture,” he says. “It inspired me.”

His older brother, too, was an influence, playing an eclectic mix of music like Jimi Hendrix, The Roots and Miles Davis.

“It was all good. But more than anything the hip-hop really stuck with me,” Sullivan says.

Now a La Quinta resident, the 22-year-old started freestyle rapping in middle school.

It wasn't until years later, though, that he made his first album.

“It's like I had too short of an attention span to really sit down and write anything,” he laughs.

“When I was sure this is what I wanted to do with my life, I started to focus.”

There were people who said he couldn't pull it off. But Sullivan, as bold as he is energetic, set out to prove the naysayers wrong.

He recorded his debut EP, “The Listening Experience” in La Quinta. He gave away all 1,000 copies to radio DJs, fans at shows, anyone who was willing to give it a listen.

Sullivan followed that up with a full-length album, “Building My Foundation,” released earlier this year.

Beyond his own music, Sullivan has been helping other local artists gain exposure.

He hosts a popular radio show at 9 p.m. every other Saturday on U-92.7 FM.

The show features all genres, from conscious hip-hop to Chicano rap.

Most impressively, the show entirely consists of submitted local music.

“Some people tell me they like my show, and I have to correct them,” Sullivan says. “It's not my show. It's our show, the valley's show.”

During the past year, the number of submitted songs has grown considerably. The scene is on an upswing, Sullivan says.

“As an artist, I want to surround myself with people who are making good music. That's the only way to get better,” he says. “This scene is growing all the time. There's so much talent here.”

Maggie Downs is a features reporter for The Desert Sun. She can be reached at 778-6435 or maggie.downs@thedesertsun.com.