Don toliver - Life of a Don

By Nora Kelliher

Don Toliver released his second studio album Life of a Don this past October 8th.

The Houston rapper has risen to fame following his standout “Can’t Say” feature on Travis Scott’s Astroworld (2018). Toliver brings a unique presence to the song that catches the listener’s attention, resulting in a breakout moment that quickly gained momentum in establishing a fan base. 

Signing with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack record label, Toliver began his studio career with Heaven or Hell (2020), which received praise from critics and charted on Billboard. In addition to often trending on TikTok due to his catchy hooks, he has featured on high-profile artists’ albums, including Kayne, Eminem, Nav, and more. Toliver is quickly becoming a household name. 

Life of a Don further establishes Toliver as an artist to pay attention to. The album opener “Xscape” uses a beat that can only be described as luxurious. It makes you feel like you’re on a yacht in Italy sipping champagne. It's a great glimpse into the lifestyle of Don Toliver, or at least the one he portrays in Life of a Don. Synths courtesy of Mike Dean then interpolate the instrumental, further adding to the elegant atmosphere. Dean is one of my favorite producers, so I was pleased to hear his work on this song and his frequent appearances on the rest of the album. Dean and Toliver have collaborated before and they complement each other well, as Dean’s psychedelic production perfectly pairs with Toliver’s soothing voice. 

The album flows nicely despite the varying paces of songs.

“5X” is a relatively relaxed tune while the next song “Way Bigger” uses a trap-heavy beat. “Flocky Flocky” is a party track with a Western feel that features Travis Scott, a frequent collaborator of Toliver. Although enjoyable, the track is rather uninventive. It’s a song that will do well on streaming services but does not bring anything new to either of the artists’ discographies. The danger of including Travis Scott on the album is the possibility that Toliver himself might be overshadowed. As they are both known for their musical, singing style of rapping, it’s easy to compare them and overhype the more popular Travis Scott. However, Toliver largely avoids this fate on Life of a Don. He seems to be establishing more of an identity for himself separate from his mentor. 

Released earlier in May, lead single “What You Need” is Don Toliver at his best. Featuring his signature melodic voice, the song is infectious. His vocal fluctuations on the track remind me of songs off his debut mixtape Donny Womack (2018). The project title is a reference to the famous R&B singer Bobby Womack whose music Toliver frequently heard around the house when he was growing up. Toliver isn’t afraid to take inspiration and lean more into R&B, all while still making a hit song. 

Toliver seems more comfortable experimenting with different sounds on Life of a Don as he transitions between calm and energetic songs naturally. “Double Standards” and “Swangin on Westheimer” are both mellow tracks that then lead into “Drugs N Hella Melodies”, where Toliver’s girlfriend Kali Uchis features in a psychedelic love song. The next three tracks are more lively and use trap beats. “Company, Pt.2”, produced by Metro Boomin, serves as the sequel to “Company” off Toliver’s first album Heaven or Hell (2020). 

“Outerspace” is one of my personal favorites off of the album. It includes an impressive Baby Keem verse over a spacey beat that then transitions into a synthesizer-heavy instrumental that allows Toliver’s voice to shine. The introduction to the song uses a chopped and screwed style, a subgenre of hip-hop originating from Toliver’s hometown of Houston. The style involves slowing down a track and altering the original song by skipping beats or scratching over the record. Toliver released a chopped and screwed version of his first album, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he did the same with Life of a Don. Even with his growing fame, Toliver still heavily reps his hometown and references Houston in multiple songs. 

“Smoke” features Houston-based rapper HVN and on-the-rise artist SoFaygo for a fun track. Toliver boasts a careful selection of features on the album. He does not overwhelm the listener with voices and instead chooses a few artists that he knows will positively add to a given song. As the album is themed around the life of Don Toliver, it makes sense not to overuse other artists and instead focus on Toliver’s talents. 

“You” was the song that stood out to me the most on first listen. This is the kind of song that makes you stop everything that you’re doing and focus solely on the music. Don Toliver and feature Travis Scott harmonize over a dreamy instrumental in a way that feels otherworldly. Both artists have mastered the festival anthem, so it’s refreshing to hear the two on a song that is influenced by R&B. Scott has done psychedelic love songs before, most notably his fan-favorite “Drugs You Should Try It”. “You” is a reminder of why Toliver is so closely associated with Scott. Their voices and style perfectly complement one another. 

While the lyrics on the album may be lacking in depth, Toliver is known for his melodic rapping rather than high-quality lyrics.

When I listen to Don Toliver, I expect good melodies and production, not to deeply analyze his lyrics. With 16 tracks, Life of a Don is an easy listen that features enough sound variety to keep the listener engaged. As with most melody rappers, the album gets better after multiple listens as the choruses get stuck in your head and you can vibe along with Toliver. 

Life of a Don sees Toliver hitting his stride as an artist and growing his sound. I highly recommend listening to the album with a good pair of headphones to fully appreciate his contagious voice and the excellent production. I am excited to hear more from Don Toliver and watch as he continues to evolve as an artist.