Don Toliver looks poised to spark another seismic shift in hip-hop with “OCTANE.”

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TOP 5 SONGS

Honorable Mention. E85

What’s a better way to kick off an album than with production that straight-up fries your brain and lyrics showing Don pulling off the wildest, most unorthodox fits and swag? On top of that, this track absolutely crushes with an otherworldly, unforgettable hook. Are their several tracks better than this one? Maybe. But I don’t think there are many that are more unique. I reward uniqueness sometimes.

5. Pleasure’s Mine

I have a feeling that one day Don Toliver will fully become a stadium-level artist. This is exactly the kind of track stadium performers make. Even with its calm, reflective moments and Don diving deep into his crooner bag, the song boasts an incredible build-up and plenty of addictive passages that pull you in and make it easy to get lost in the vibe.

4. Rosary (Ft. Travis Scott)

This is the kind of R&B you have to settle for these days—and honestly, I’m not mad at it. The track gives off serious early-2000s vibes, and here’s the kicker: despite that female vocal sample that sounds straight-up pulled from that era, you’ve got Don and Travis stepping in and doing their best R&B impressions. They’re harmonizing like s**t, sounding like the type to rub their partner’s forehead after poking. It’s unexpected as hell, not at all what I’d usually expect from them—but that surprise is kind of the point. BTW, what a melody Travis slides in with.

3. Secondhand (Ft. Rema)

What would the world even do if Don Toliver and The Weeknd actually linked up? I only bring it up because this track has that melancholic, glitchy feel that would’ve been perfect for a split-second Weeknd appearance—especially with that sappy-ass sample floating around.

That said, Toliver holds it down just fine, delivering one of the most addictive choruses on the entire album. Rema—who honestly sounds American as hell here—blends in seamlessly with Don and never feels out of place. I’m just being greedy, that’s the only reason The Weeknd even came up. My bad.

2. ATM

Hell yeah, this track takes me straight back to my club days—hitting the ATM just to get enough cash to get into some spot that reeked of Axe body spray. Anyway, the chemistry between the production and Don’s buttery vocals here is crazy. The beat knocks harder than ICE, and Don attacks it with every singing style in his bag, flipping from mellow to slick without missing a step. This s**t would get in the ultimate brouhaha with your cap speakers.

1. Tiramisu

I hate tiramisu. Back when I was a youngin at work, we used to eat that s**t every time a coworker left for a new job, and it ruined it for me forever. But this “Tiramisu?” F**king fire!

“Tiramisu” is smooth as hell. The production gives me visions of stepping out of a pristine Maybach in the rain, while Don sounds slicker than ever, hopscotching between a sick-ass flow on his verses and an absolutely flawless hook. I can hear this track in any cot damn scenario.

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SONG BY SONG RATING

1. E85 (4.5/5)

2. Body (4/5)

3. Rendezvous (Ft. Yeat) (4/5)

4. Secondhand (5/5)

5. Tiramisu (5/5)

6. ATM (5/5)

7. Long Way To Calabasas (4/5)

8. Rosary (Ft. Travis Scott) (4.5/5)

9. All The Signs (Ft. Teezo Touchdown) (4/5)

10. Call Back (4.5/5)

11. Tuition (4/5)

12. K9 (Ft. SahBabii) (4/5)

13. Excavator (4.5/5)

14. Gemstone (4/5)

15. OPPOSITE (4/5)

16. TMU (4/5)

17. Pleasure’s Mine (4.5/5)

18. Sweet Home (4/5)

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RGM RATING

(83%)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’ve never heard an artist quite like Don Toliver. His vocals, beat selection, lyrics, and song structures all feel slightly off-kilter—in the best way possible. Everything people love about Don is turned up to ten on OCTANE.

Whoever helped Don lock in this album’s production deserves a handshake from God. The beats fuse intergalactic, space-age textures with smooth R&B, subtle trap influences, heavy bass, amazing synths, and frequent beat switches. You can tell Don, along with a conglomerate of negroes that clearly knew what they were doing, sat with these instrumentals, identifying moments where things felt stale, too safe, or needed a hard left turn. That constant willingness to pivot keeps you alert, keeps the energy high, and makes sure that just when you settle into a vibe, the album pulls the rug out from under you—in a good way.

My favorite thing about this project is Don’s precision. He finds the smallest pockets to drop something catchy, animated, infectious, slightly gritty, radio-friendly, or unexpectedly gentle. He treats his voice like a DJ board, tweaking and pressing different buttons based on exactly what the moment calls for. That level of control is impressive af.

And in an era full of lazy features, OCTANE doesn’t suffer from that at all. Every guest either matches Don’s timing or brings real flavor to the track—shoutout Teezo and SahBabii. This is Don’s world, and everyone else is just visiting. He makes that clear.

Don Toliver is operating on a different frequency right now. It honestly feels like the entire game has slowed down for him.

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