Don Toliver Keeps Climbing the Ladder
HYPEBEAST caught up with the Cactus Jack signee to discuss his new ‘LIFE OF A DON’ album, and the best advice Travis Scott ever gave him.
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Much of Don Toliver’s rapid rise to fame has been attributed to Travis Scott, and rightfully so. It was Scott who gave Toliver a feature on “Can’t Say”, off of his chart-topping ASTROWORLD LP, catapulting Toliver into the mainstream. But to suggest that Toliver’s ascent only came from Scott’s slipstream is to discredit his one-of-a-kind sound and work ethic. While Scott may have opened up doors by signing him to his Cactus Jack label, it’s been Toliver who has taken steps to steadily climb up the industry ladder.
What makes the now-27-year-old talent so unique is his ability to eschew being boxed into one genre. Growing up, his musical influences were wide ranging, a sentiment reflected in his own music. “I came up in a family that was very much into music”, he told HYPEBEAST.
“So I was listening to a lot of people such as the Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Lenny Kravitz, N.E.R.D., Sade and more.”
Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller
It’s through his treble-heavy, yet smooth singing voice that he exhibits his agility to glide between R&B, rap, pop and trap elements. His sound can be described as soulful and idiosyncratic — and with it, he delivers catchy melodies, emotive lyrics, and thought provoking ad-libs.
More than a year since he dropped his first official project — 2020’s Heaven or Hell — Toliver has returned with his latest full-length album titled LIFE OF A DON.
“LIFE OF A DON is a summary of what I got going on right now, and a little fraction of what I’ve been through,” he told HYPEBEAST about the sentiments behind the project. “Think of it as a major update from me to my fans and a soundtrack of my life.”
Inspired by Kanye West crafting his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album in Hawaii, Don Toliver recorded a large portion of LIFE OF A DON seaside in Miami’s Venetian Islands, bringing along some of his favorite producers and engineers, from Mike Dean to Mustard, to Cardo and Jahaan Sweet, to add their own flavors to the mix. In between recording sessions, Toliver and his camp would spend hours lounging on a boat or revving up jet skis on the water, imparting a laid-back and creative energy throughout the album.
“I personally try to get as close as possible to the concepts I envision.”
The new album has 16 tracks, including “What You Need” and “Drugs N Hella Melodies,” which features vocals from his girlfriend Kali Uchis. Both singles were released alongside music videos over summer 2021.
“I personally try to get as close as possible to the concepts I envision”, Toliver said of making his music videos. “I usually always try to think of something crazy when it comes to music videos and my team certainly executed with the crazy villa, horses and carriage elements.”
The record also brings in artists, fresh faces and industry mainstays alike, for its features. Baby Keem continues to build off his The Melodic Blue momentum by popping up on “OUTERSPACE,” and much like La Flame did for Toliver on ASTROWORLD, Toliver brought on a fellow Houston artist named HVN for “Smoke.”
White Trash Tyler
White Trash Tyler
White Trash Tyler
White Trash Tyler
“[HVN] is a kid from Houston that I wanted to really shine a light on”, Toliver explained. “I was trying to figure out who from back home is really doing their thing, and I just really love his music so I thought it was crazy for me to include him on the album.”
As for Scott, he makes an appearance on two songs, “Flocky Flocky” and “You” The two artists remain close collaborators, with Scott providing valuable mentorship to Toliver as his career continues to expand.
“One of the most memorable pieces of advice he gave me was about touring,” Toliver said. “I didn’t know what to expect going into a 50 day tour as I had very little experience, and he taught me a lot about the importance of rehearsal, stage set-up and more.”
“For a long time I thought I was in this creative block, crab in the bucket type situation. But now I feel like I’m ganging up with so much talent, and you can’t stop us. We’re going to let loose.”
Toliver has had a busy summer, with no plans to stop anytime soon. He showed out alongside Kid Cudi with a captivating hook on Kanye West’s “Moon,” executed a beat-banging track in “Don’t Go” with Skrillex and Justin Bieber and even launched his own album-inspired apparel line with Guess Originals. From these projects and more, it’s evident that he’s on a mission to create new waves in pop culture.
“For a long time I thought I was in this creative block, crab in the bucket type situation” he said. “But now I feel like I’m ganging up with so much talent, and you can’t stop us. We’re going to let loose.”
LIFE OF A DON is now available on all streaming platforms.
