A Suffolk rapper who has been honing his craft for 20 years landed one of his songs in a critically acclaimed movie that debuted this month.

Tavaris Mitchell, whose stage name is GhosMerck, made the song “You Don’t Know Nothing,” which is featured in “The Florida Project.”

Mitchell, a 32-year-old Lakeland High School graduate, said the recognition was gratifying after working on his career nearly his entire life.

“I was just kind of stunned,” Mitchell said of finding out about the song’s placement in the movie. “I was so happy I was jumping up and down. I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”

The movie, directed by Sean Baker, explores the lives of poor children living in the shadows of Walt Disney World, a park they will likely never be able to afford to enter. Willem Dafoe plays the caretaker of the motel where the children live.

Mitchell grew up on Smith Street and started rapping seriously at age 12 or 13. Even before that, he would mimic other artists, he said.

He started out with a group called Double I, putting out mix tapes and building buzz in the city.

“I started getting a lot of recognition and taking it more seriously as far as the craft,” he said.

Later, Mitchell, his brother and a friend started Ill Indies, which had a 10-year run.

“It taught us more of the business side and put us in front of a lot of people on a whole other level,” he said.

But about three years ago, Mitchell decided to go solo.

“To go solo is a different dynamic,” said Desiree Williams of Dreammakerz Entertainment, which represents Mitchell. “You have to find yourself again.”

Williams said she likes working with Mitchell because he never expected overnight success and he has a different sound.

“He understands it’s a marathon, not just a sprint,” she said. “He’s always telling a story. He has feel-good music. I think that’s what separates him from what’s out today. It’s relatable, and it’s fun.”

Mitchell said he tried to keep the song simple and enjoys carving out a unique niche for his career.

“I went for the bouncy feel and simple feel,” he said. “I talk about a lot of experiences. I touch on a lot of everything.”

Williams said she kicked off the process of getting the song’s movie placement in 2015, when she sent out an email saying Mitchell was open to working with new producers. They’re excited about the possibilities.

“Everybody’s talking about how good this is,” Williams said. “All the reviews (are saying) it’s Oscar-worthy.”

Mitchell will receive royalties from U.S. DVD sales and digital downloads of the movie as well as showings in theaters overseas. The single is also on sale through Amazon and iTunes.

Mitchell hasn’t taken too much time to bask in the limelight, though. He’s already working on new music and exploring new parts of his business.

“He’s on everybody’s radar,” Williams said.

Mitchell can be found on social media: Instagram ghosmerck 23; Twitter @GhosMerck; Facebook GhosMerck23.