Rising Stars: Meet Daniel Garza

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Garza.

Hi Daniel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
It’s quite interesting to me how the word ‘story’ is used to account for what this life REALLY is: An ongoing EXPERIENCE. One that we live ONLY once and ONLY one DAY at a time. LITERALLY. We experience life TODAY and TODAY only. It will NEVER EVER happen AGAIN. EVER.

With that being said. I will be as BRIEF and CONCISE as possible to get you ‘up to speed’ from WHEN and WHERE my ‘story’ began. Note that stories can be FICTIONAL and sway the imagination. Therefore my human experience is as REAL and RAW as ONLY an actual EXPERIENCE CAN BE.

I, like every other being here, was born to parents in a little dark corner of Texas known as Rio Grande City 42 years ago on April 11th, 1981. Even before that day life in that house was quite hectic with my father being VERY violent and my mother not being able to get away from that violence. At about 18 years and many many attempts, she was finally able to get away but only after ONE LAST violent altercation that even involved a gun being fired (thankfully no one was badly hurt).

When I mentioned SHE was finally able to get away, I meant it. She took NO ONE with her. She told me she was TOO tired to continue WANTING to take care of ANYONE anymore. That included my younger brother, two sisters, and my VERY violent and VERY angry father. My older brother had just turned 18 and had left to work and study in a neighboring city 50 miles away. I was 16.

Having learned nothing else but how to be on ‘the other side of the law’ I was able to lead myself to serve a three-year sentence at a state penitentiary by the age of 20 with two felony convictions. Ironically it was NOT for anything VIOLENT but for doing what MANY MANY others were and ARE doing TODAY; selling marijuana.

Walking out of the infamous ‘Walls’ in 2004 to NO ONE there waiting for me, I hopped on a bus to Houston and began living out some rather NEW chapters in this GRAND ‘story’ of mine. Some were VERY familiar but the ones from these last few years have been very NEW to ME. But way more ADVENTUROUS.

Even though I have been met with quite the adversity due to having come from such a harsh beginning, I have obviously NOT let up and DO NOT have the INTENTIONS to do so until the end of my physical days. Everything about my experience, and I mean EVERYTHING is found in my heARTwork, which would be my daily content, my books, but MOST importantly my music! On purpose, with purpose.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know about you but I haven’t heard of a legend who has had a smooth road paved for him/her. Most, if not all of us have had to not just SURVIVE the trenches but find/make a way to THRIVE afterward. I have to say the BIGGEST struggle along the way has been and ALWAYS will be the MINDSET I had toward the obstacle/challenge I have faced because NO MATTER the problem there is a solution on the other side. If not then it isn’t a problem to begin with.

For instance, not too long ago, I had to quickly figure out how I would be distributing my music as the distributor that I had chosen years ago SUDDENLY decided to deactivate my account and REMOVE all of my tracks from ALL of the streaming platforms they had distributed them to.

They were a bit ambiguous as to WHY. But oh well, I am NOT one to go where it ISN’T flowing. I am operating solely from my HEART center, which is from pure integrity, dignity, honor, and respect so I respect what isn’t for me isn’t for me. So all I did was adjust my way of thinking (again) and figure out HOW to redistribute my music. And there you go, ANOTHER obstacle/challenge overcome. On purpose, with purpose.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known for being a bit “extreme.” I create content, that I post to Instagram and YouTube EVERY DAY, to show by example, how to live the day INTENTIONALLY and GRACIOUSLY The content is based around my music which is what sets me apart from the rest because I have written ALL of my tracks WITHOUT a beat which then allows me to ‘freestyle’ a snippet of each song with my OWN rhythm and flow.

Aside from showcasing my lyrical skills with and without a beat I have published two poetry books. The first one (Two Sides To Every Story) I did on my own through Amazon’s self-publishing option and the second one (The Caged Bird With ‘Clipped’ Wings) through a publishing agreement with Bookleaf Publishing.

Everything revolves around the transmutation of what was once a damaged version of me into the healing version. I alchemize the suffering in my heart that came from the painful and traumatic experiences of my past. Turning lead into gold. There are 3 types of people in the world; Those who DON’T know what happened. Those who WONDER what happened. And those from The Streets (such as myself) that MAKE things HAPPEN. On Purpose, With Purpose.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is loving the man in the mirror TODAY. It’s having strong mental health (because that’s real wealth). It’s being able to keep my emotions in check. It’s being able to NOT only say that I LOVE to GET to BE ME all over again TODAY but ACTUALLY mean it because I KNOW that TODAY, like all the other days, will NEVER EVER happen AGAIN. EVER.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Dgarza
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@danielg.222?si=s9mvof6h24tdnOx4
• SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/hPahbFzn5wjUqXYz7