Darius Droc Jackson – The Great Commission

Darius Droc Jackson
The Great Commission
Independent (release date: July 17, 2020)
www.youtube.com/mrdroc2010

By Robert M. Marovich

I’ve heard plenty of independently-produced holy hip hop projects that leave me feeling meh. Whether it’s the hasty production, derivative beats, or humdrum rhymes, they fall short of their promise.

Not so The Great Commission. Darius Droc (pron. D-Rock) Jackson and his featured vocalists and producers offer ten measured, melodic meditations on the power of global discipleship.

The opening track, a hook-laden, melodic, and radio-friendly “Kingdom Business,” serves up the album’s main premise: the Great Commission to preach the word of God to the world.

Much of the appeal comes from the features, most especially the talented Alex Dollar. A daughter of Creflo Dollar, Alex appears on two selections and produces two. K-Young is another soulful featured vocalist.

The command to love one another shows up not infrequently on the album. Although for “Love/Save a Soul,” that means Christ love, on three selections—“Blessed with You” (with Fresco Kane), “Paradise” (with K-Young) and “Wedding Ring” (with Alex Dollar)—love is also the blessing of coupledom and, on the latter, the sanctity of marriage.

“I Got a Friend” is about the steadfastness of Jesus who proved his fidelity to humankind all the way to Calvary. The pop-inflected “Come Home,” featuring excellent vocal assistance by MyCall Sixtysix, sounds autobiographical. It uses the Prodigal Son story as a reference point to summon “tired” and “stretched out” souls to Christ.

Jackson’s rhymes are earnest, uncomplicated, and forthright. The beats are metallic, electric, and serve the rhymes well. Tracks are short and to the point, with plenty of melodic variety. Droc is a proficient singer as well as rapper. For an indie project, the production and engineering are crisp. The Great Commission is an album to put on repeat.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “Come Home,” “Kingdom Business”