Don Toliver - Life of a Don Album Review

 

Released by Cactus Jack and Atlantic Records on 8th October 2021

One of the most anticipated albums of the year finally dropped on Friday 8th October. Texas-born Caleb Zackery Toliver - known professionally as Don Toliver, released his second studio album Life of a Don which follows on from his successful 2020 debut Heaven or Hell.

It's quite amazing that back in 2017, the rapper had no previous musical experience, and just one year later he had blessed our eardrums with his feature on Travis Scott's 2018 hit 'CANT SAY'. 

Just three days later he signed to Scott's record label Cactus Jack, and due to the hype surrounding him, released several singles throughout 2018 and 2019. Most notably 'No Idea', which became a viral sensation on the social media platform TikTok.

Fast forward three years, and Don has cemented himself as one of the most unique artists in the industry, and has received praise from icons such as Pharrell - who gushed over Don in a recent interview with Complex. 

Kicking off the album with XSCAPE, the rapper tries to convince a woman to leave her man and fall in love with him over jazzy production. Much like his mentor Travis Scott, his albums allow you to transcend from the space you're in and take you to an alternate world where he showcases his creativity through his melodies. 

Travis features on the album twice, first on 'Flocky Flocky', the fourth track on the album. A behind the scenes snippet of the music video surfaced in October 2020, and ever since it has been highly anticipated by fans. On first listen, the production instantly pulls you to a Latin American orbit with production led by Cardo. Although some of the bars are nonsensical, such as Travis rapping "I keep a place to bait, to tune your brain up / She stuffs her face in cake, no way it’s safe", it still remains as one of the highlights of the album.

As the album progresses, you can sense Don is beginning to solidify his sound. Impressively, on 'Swangin' On Westheimer', he slows down the tempo and captivates you with the lyrics as he pays homage to his hometown Texas. 

Produced by Metro Boomin, it is no surprise that this is one of the best songs on the album. Don and Metro go hand in hand, and it is a link-up that we need more of. 

Metro has a history of producing for new artists that have potential to make a name for themselves in the hip-hop industry. He has produced full-length albums for 21 Savage, Nav and Big Sean, so the idea of Metro collaborating on a project with Toliver in the future isn't too far fetched. 

'Company Pt 2' is also produced by Metro, and carries on the story from Heaven or Hell's Company, where Don was longing for a girl he once had. The low-key, dark undertoned production is Metro's forte, and allows Toliver to excel in his storytelling. The production also highlights the contrast between the two songs, as Don ends the track by recognising that he has now moved on from the girl he once longed for. 

After featuring on Baby Keem's debut album 'The Melodic Blue', Don returns the favour and recruits Keem for 'Outerspace', the 12th song on the album, and one of the standouts as the two artists go back and forth bragging about women, cars and guns. 

In a recent interview with Ebro for Apple Music, Don recently expressed that he would be open to a collab project with Baby Keem when asked if it was a possibility. 

“Oh no, facts, facts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’d be dangerous.”  

Travis Scott returns for a second time on the album, featuring on 'You' - an otherworldly, sultry collaboration which can only be compared to 'Maria I'm Drunk' off Travis' Rodeo as the vibe and production has a similar encapsulating feel. Their chemistry is unmatched as they naturally flow off each other, crooning over a woman they lust over. 

As good as this album is, some credit belongs to Mike Dean as his fingerprints can be heard throughout. A self-proclaimed synth god - the legendary engineer has a history of mixing projects for iconic artists such as Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Beyonce. Pitchfork labelled Mike Dean's outro's on Life of a Don 'unnecessary', which is almost as outlandish as stating this album 'hollow'. Dean's synth's and electric guitars add another level to the songs that wouldn't be possible without him, and solidifies an already outstanding sophomore album.