Daniel Jackson – “Challenger”

Long Beach, CA based creative Daniel Jackson has dropped quite a few popular tracks along his route to artistic authentication. Among them are “Revelation”, “Champion”, “Dance For Jesus” and “HOLYGHOST”, but none have gained as much fan and media traction, as well as critical acclaim, than “Challenger” which has been raking in literally tons of views on video platforms. But that’s no surprise, Jackson is one ambitious dude, and millions just might not be enough to motivate his yearning. Consider for one moment his GoFundMe campaign which requires $1.0B to get where he needs to go. That’s the dream. That’s the project. That’s Daniel Jackson, preparing to spread his wings and fly to the highest possible level…not just to the next one, which most of his contemporaries dream about.

Daniel Jackson is working towards solidifying his spot amongst the new breed of rappers out of the west coast. His intense delivery and charismatic flow shines on this project. As a rapper, he’s much better than meets the ear, spitting off coded insider details in flurries of strangled yelps that camouflage technical proficiency and terse writing.

It’s not easy to homogenize the opposing forces at play, but everything here feels like a genuine rumble through an inquisitive mind inebriated and angered by the haters, the fakers and chasing the American dream while the room spins. It’s time for the trill OG’s to take over.

“Challenger” is dark and full of stone-grilled stares that lay things out in plain terms, and there’s very little, if any, glamorization at play. Excuses and justifications come seldom and too matter-of-fact to be asking for approval.

When Daniel Jackson succumbs to the call of his craft or his ambition, and the occasional intersections between the two, he’s not selling anything but his reality. He’s up for the challenge. And on the track, he lays out his best defense of this mindset. Production here shows a fundamental understanding of how to empower Daniel Jackson on the mic, who a stellar ear for macabre beats.

Jackson rarely tells full linear stories, instead opting for a gallery of vivid snapshots, using his seesawing delivery and scornful attitude on “Challenger” to develop the images. Here he delivers chilling rhymes buoyed by a sinister and aggressive beat. Yet these are what makes this track so strangely seductive and powerful.

Like a stack of 100s, the track is full of rich and exhilarating layers, which reveal themselves during the playing time. “Challenger” is a tough confrontational ode, and hard-nosed narrative imbued with fiery intentions. Envenomed, the flow he hones, directly translates mental attitude into sonic weigh.