The Artist Spotlight: Don Toliver
- Amelie
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
You can’t escape his music on a night-out, and certainly not from the reels you scroll through. For our first Artist Spotlight, our Music writer, Amelie, digs deep into the iconic name that is Don Toliver and his record-breaking album, Octane.
If you were chronically online during the pandemic, you’d have definitely heard “After Party” and "No Idea” dominating TikTok in 2019 and 2020. That was the start of what would soon become a highly successful career that has since led to appearing on various Billboard charts over fifty times. From his first mixtape “Donny Womack" (2018) achieving 168 million streams overall and his latest album, “Octane”, receiving 11 million streams on the daily, Don Toliver has certainly made his mark in the music industry. But how did his success come to fruition?
The Up-and-Coming
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Toliver grew up with a musical influence in his life, as his father was a rapper during the Swishahouse movement (a Southern hip hop record label owned and founded in Houston) in the early 2000s. Although he gained wider recognition as a lead artist in 2019, his first venture into the music industry was back in 2017. His first solo singles I Gotta and Diva, despite being released nine years earlier from his most recent album, still features his signature sound: immersive, late night atmospheric trap music that’s a smooth blend of both singing and rapping.
Before releasing his first studio album, Toliver had collaborated with Travis Scott on his album “Astroworld” with the track Can’t Say. On August 6th, 2018, it was then announced that Toliver had signed to Scott's Cactus Jack imprint label. He also contributed to the Jackboys compilation album, an American rap group composed of artists signed to Cactus Jack Records, a record label founded by Travis. Not to mention, he was featured on Eminem’s surprise comeback, Music To Be Murdered By, with the song “No Regrets”.
It’s clear that Toliver’s acceleration to fame wasn’t accidental, as even before his songs went viral, his talent has been long recognised by some of the most prominent rappers in the music scene.
In 2020, Toliver released Heaven or Hell. It remains his most streamed album until now, containing two of his viral songs, as well as collaborations with popular rap artists like Travis Scott, Offset and Quavo.
Since then, five major studio projects have hit the Billboard 200, including Heaven or Hell (2020), Life of a Don (2021), Love Sick (2023), Hardstone Psycho (2024), and Octane (2026).
Breaking Records with Octane
Toliver’s latest album consists of eighteen tracks preceded by two lead singles, “Tiramisu” and “ATM”. The album opens up with “E85”, a melodic trap mix that sets the mood for this project. Octane blends together the usual late-night, atmospheric synths and darker, more gritty beats, focusing on high-speed journeys, intimacy and partying.
However, criticisms for its predictable lyricism have been circling around, as most of the songs tend to be about the same things: women, sex, drugs… Certainly, although Toliver’s lyrics have never been famed for their profound depth, it would be refreshing to hear a more personal aspect through his songs.
Nevertheless, Octane is currently proving to be Toliver’s most successful project, with 32.8 million streams on Spotify recorded within the first 24 hours of its release. Tracks such as “E85”, “Body”, “Gemstone” and “Tiramisu” have also dominated social media platforms, featuring in varying TikTok trends and accumulating heavy praise from his supporters.
Only Up From Here For Toliver
So, how is he achieving these impressive records? What makes his music so enjoyable for listeners?
In an interview with Insomniac, Toliver described his music as “melodic hip-hop with rhythm and blues. It’s poetry for me.” Throughout all his albums, he explores different styles, mixing a heavy use of 808's, soulful melodies, and a powerful, often laid-back backbeat. His production value seems to only elevate with every album he releases, experimenting with different instrumentals to showcase his versatility while staying true to the elements that make his sound so unique in the first place.
The atmosphere he creates with his music is also a key element of his sound’s identity; a dreamy, psychedelic environment, often described as Trap&B (trap and R&B), that’s both intoxicating and intriguing. Toliver’s music is also influenced by the "chopped-and-screwed" history of his hometown, offering a melodic take on southern rap.
Through the rapid development of his career, Toliver continues to show that consistency does not require repetition. Overall, his songs have a well-thought-out mood, and the production flawlessly matches his voice style. Any upcoming projects of his should certainly be something to look forward to, and will hopefully feature even more experiments with different styles of instrumentals.
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