An Everlasting Appreciation For Daniel King

Daniel (Y’lan Noel) and Issa (Issa Rae) had an undeniably special bond.

Issa Dee and Daniel King were high school friends sharing a common interest in music. Although they did not pursue a romantic relationship back then, Daniel remained Issa’s secret crush. Other than sending each other messages on Facebook, their paths rarely crossed. When things became unbearable for Issa with her boyfriend of five years the utterly depressed Lawrence Walker, Issa tracks music producer Daniel down on an open mic night. Daniel encourages Issa to spit to the young crowd and Issa does so, dropping the epic classic Broken Pussy, embarrassing her best friend Molly in the process. Something brews between the two— something new and refreshing. Yet after their first kiss, Daniel implies he’s not looking for anything serious. It sucks that he considers her an object to lust after. Certainly a fine, established producer could have anyone else. The awkwardness comes and goes. Once Molly bails out of the We Got Y’all Career Day, Issa invites Daniel to speak— at Frida’s request. The kids were not initially impressed by him, but Issa certainly was charmed the whole way through. The moment leads to a hilarious appearance by Mirror Daniel and Ty Dolla Sign. 

Just Daniel. 

Crushes are normal. Crushes form everyday. Issa was not free to be keeping contact with Daniel whose interest was not an “in it” like Lawrence. By episode five, Issa chooses to go to Daniel’s studio and stay well past his musicians and guests. She chooses that kiss to go further. She chooses to have sex all over that studio. While Guordan Banks’ “Keep Me In Mind” plays in the background, one wonders if the song is intended for Daniel or for Lawrence. The aftermath is worst. Issa lies to Lawrence and avoids Daniel. She shirks all responsibility— as though not talking about it or addressing the person with whom the mistake was made erases that night. Yet it is not rocket science to figure out what happened. Issa trashes Daniel and Lawrence dumps her. 

Y’lan Noel made Daniel. Cannot imagine anyone else in the role.

Daniel portrayer Y’lan Noel (who originally auditioned for Lawrence) spoke to Essence on his character. 

“I see him as being somebody who follows through with what he’s interested in, whether it be music or, obviously, Issa,” Noel said about Daniel. “He’s sincere. He doesn’t sit on his emotions —which I think is incredibly inspiring. He’s also very single minded. Not selfish, but single minded. He doesn’t know Lawrence or anything about that guy. He’s just concerned about him and Issa’s relationship.”

By season two, post-breakup Issa has reluctantly let Lawrence live his life separately and wants to obtain sexual liberation. Issa meets her friends and Felix (an asinine jerk who brushes her off) at the Kiss and Grind. Daniel is also there and Issa exchanges words with him, strangely highlighting that she is single. At a diner, they share a plate of fries as Kelli enjoys her new boo’s finger talents. However, Issa should not have put Daniel in her “hoe-tation”— a hoetation that only consisted of her Dunes neighbor and Daniel. Daniel seems to no longer consider Issa a mere fling. Who can forget that smile when Issa came by with a special delivery? His smile spoke volumes as did their introductory kiss. He drops everything for her— even coming straight to her aide after her lil car accident. In the next episode, she shows him vast appreciation. Sis should have moved. That is all there is say. But later Daniel speaks inexcusably over the phone. 

The eye incident will go down in Insecure Hall of Shame forever.

Eventually, Issa must leave the Dunes Apartments due to the raising rent— gentrification is evil. She has the option of Ahmal, of Molly (whose vase she broke—we’ll never know). In the end, who does Issa choose to stay with rent free? 

Daniel. 

Issa and Daniel at Kiss and Grind. 

Season three allows a small glimpse into Daniel’s life. Lilian, Daniel’s sister can’t part hair well and is curious about why Daniel let Issa stay at his place. Jada, Daniel’s niece loves the ratchet music, but appreciates that her uncle’s music makes her think. Studio buddy Brett (Issa Rae’s real life bro Lamine) never brings Daniel a decent artist and rarely shows up when Daniel needs him. Vanessa, Daniel’s critical, “lightskin love” cheerleading bedmate sees him overcrowding her space. Music takes Daniel to places. It is his true love, his vital passion. Although the industry shuns his independent style, he is able to return to its nature, to its instrumental roots. It comforts him, soothes him despite the limitations to true success. With Issa, however, he is unsure. 

Daniel was so unsure to meet Spyder, but Issa pushed him in the right direction. 

Issa stands correct on the tiptoeing. She was nervous about asking Daniel for more time. Daniel was confused by her being there yet obviously wanted her to stay. They were dancing around the chemistry. It was in the air. Issa is at her most awkward, her most vulnerable. She pushes him away repeatedly. When Brett cancels on a meeting with hot act Spyder, Issa—after kindly cleaning Daniel’s apartment—offers to come support Daniel at the club. Interestingly, Daniel appears more and more unsure of himself. Issa uplifts Daniel much as he did her before season one’s open mic. Even in a dimly lit crowd, Daniel and Issa’s undeniable chemistry is charged— further still when he beatboxes in her ear and then shields his body over hers once gunshots fly. Then, they come back home to a peace offering. Issa listens to his new track, pleased. Daniel and Issa obviously care deeply for each other. The stain of their intimacy wounded what could have been a bonafide pairing. Plus, Daniel looked down on Issa and Issa gave Daniel very mixed signals. 

There were terrible aspects to Daniel— no doubt about it. He showed up to Issa’s job twice coming across as thirsty as Darius Lovehall impermissibly taking Nina Mosley’s address off a check in Love Jones or Jason following Lyric’s bus until she got off in Jason’s Lyric. The kicker— Daniel enjoys playing Issa’s “hero” so much that the thought of her leaving his apartment hurt that sensitive ego. It hurt below the belt. Still, if Lawrence can be forgiven for calling Issa a “hoe” to her face after bringing Aparna to the birthday dinner of Derek (husband of Issa’s friend, Tiff) in season two, why is it harder to allow Daniel that same space to grow? After that particular dinner, Lawrence and Aparna have sex for the first time and not under Issa’s hearing. In the season three opener, Daniel had the galling audacity to have loud sex with couch crashing guest Issa present— although, yes, she could have easily stayed with Molly or Ahmad. Both men have crushing temperaments in regards to Issa. Lawrence is verbally cruel and Daniel is passively vindictive. By the series finale, most characters grew from their childishly immature behaviors. They treated each other with intended care and respect. Who’s to say that Daniel has not also matured someplace, leveled up, and took Issa’s advice? 

Daniel and Issa, the possibility could have been amazing. 

Daniel fans did receive closure—though at the time it did not seem so. When Issa moves out and rummages through her old belongings, she eventually tosses away the rap journals and CDs. She says goodbye to her younger self, says goodbye essentially to Daniel. Openings arose for his faithful return— Issa’s Bloc Party certainly needed a special musical producer’s helping hand. That voyage sailed with Daniel’s previously harsh “I’m always having to save you.” Instead of reaching out to her old friend/lover, she chooses her BFF’s new man to save her event. Issa uses people, but her intentions are for her people. Eventually, she needs no savior. She becomes someone to rely on. 

Daniel and Issa hug goodbye.

Insecure is no Jennifer Garner movie called Confessions of Girlfriends Past. Issa was moving forward, moving past the past. With the shadow of Lawrence always bound to lurk in the picture, Daniel and Issa never had a real chance to blossom into their potential together. It would have been nice to see them dating, being truly honest with each other, maturing and keeping off stubborn ground. Still, fans received sweet takeaway moments— the shared silly smiles, the songs they made, the constant flirtation, the steamiest love scene on television, and a final embrace. Some favorite doomed couples never even kissed— so the Daniel Hive was generously lucky in that. Issa Rae and Y’lan Noel crafted in these two connected characters an aesthetically pleasing onscreen match in a world still making couples contrast—skin first. They proved that two dark skinned people could create a scorching irresistible fire that remains burning in memory. 

Daniel King may not have returned in the last seasons, but he sure did leave a memorable impression.