Don Toliver’s rise to stardom has been fun to watch over the last few years. He’s gone from an up-and-coming R&B Trap artist with a cool voice that gets a lot of interesting features to one of the biggest forces in R&B in a relatively short amount of time. After releasing his debut mixtape Donny Womack in 2018, Don Toliver got noticed by fellow Houston artist Travis Scott. This garnered a feature from Don Toliver on the song ‘Can’t Say’ from Travis Scott’s Astroworld and also led to him signing with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records. Over the next year or so, Don Toliver released a few singles, including the song ‘No Idea,’ which ended up going viral on social media. Shortly following this, he was featured multiple times on the Cactus Jack collaborative JACKBOYS album and also made a guest appearance on the song ‘No Regrets’ by Eminem. In March 2020, Don Toliver released his debut album Heaven or Hell, which spawned the single ‘After Party,’ which is one of Don Toliver’s biggest tracks to date. Later that year, Don Toliver was featured on the song ‘Lemonade’ with Nav and Gunna as a part of the Internet Money music collective album. ‘Lemonade’ is yet another song that Don Toliver contributed to that went viral, helping cement him as one of the new stars of R&B. Don Toliver’s next project, Life of a Don, was released in the Autumn of 2021. He followed this one up with his third studio album, Love Sick, which came out near the beginning of last year. Both of these albums continued his momentum to the top of the R&B world, turning him into a new Hip Hop superstar. It is easy to see why so many people have been attracted to Don Toliver’s music, as his voice is so unique and his style of music is so fresh. Don Toliver just released his second album in as many years, HARDSTONE PSYCHO. This is a record so many Hip Hop fans have been looking forward to, and Don Toliver is one of the most dynamic artists in the game right now. With that being said, here is how I feel about Don Toliver’s HARDSTONE PSYCHO. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are off of this new album from Don Toliver, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole!
HARDSTONE PSYCHO is divided into four parts, with each “Disc” containing four songs. This means there’s a general sonic theme to each section of the record, which is something that I am into. Disc 1 begins with the song ‘KRYPTONITE;’ this song certainly gets the album going on an interesting note. This is a two-part track, with the first half having a pretty light and warm feeling, and the second half having an intense and gritty sound. The smooth and soft start to the song makes the second section of the song hit that much harder and feel so sludgy. I love how Don Toliver’s vocals on this one go from sweet and sultry to a little more intense and animated as the track goes on. ‘KRYPTONITE’ is a captivating way to start this record which immediately draws me in. ‘TORE UP’ takes the intense and dirty feeling from the second half of ‘KRYPTONITE’ and amplifies it. This is the shortest song of the album, but it also might be one of the most massive. There is an old-school heavy metal element to this song that I dig a lot. That heavy metal element comes from the soaring guitar riff that drives the melody of this track. This guitar riff is complemented by distorted synths and put on top of a tough Pop-Trap beat that makes this one feel so colossal. There is a growling/screaming sample in the background throughout the track that helps contribute to the very mean feeling that this song has. Don Toliver’s vocal performance on ‘TORE UP’ is excellent. The way his high and nasally pitch contrasts the harshness of the instrumental makes this song pop. ‘TORE UP’ is a song that takes the bold energy of the first track and amplifies it. I knew that I would dig ‘BROTHER STONE,’ which features Kodak Black before even listening to it due to its feature. I will always be impartial to Kodak Black, as he brings a quirky element to any song he is on that can not be replicated. This song has a lot more of a Hip Hop feeling than the first two tracks. Where the first two had melodies that were more Pop or R&B-tinted, this one is darker, harsher, and feels more like underground Trap music. There is a Heavy Metal guitar riff that comes in and out of this melody giving the song a roughness and intensity that I enjoy a ton. Don Toliver’s performance on ‘BROTHER STONE’ is very good(I especially love the flow that he sings with), but Kodak steals the show for me on this one. His high pitch and raspy tone sound so great on the instrumental and makes the song so catchy. ‘BROTHER STONE’ is yet another great song to start this album from Don Toliver that shows he is not messing around on this one. ‘Attitude,’ which features Charlie Wilson and rising R&B star Cash Cobain, was one of the three singles released in anticipation of this record. Although this song is very good as well(it is one I have been listening to frequently since it came out), ‘ATTITUDE’ does not really fit the sonic theme that the first three songs had at all. I do not know why it was included as a part of Disc 1, because it does not have that Rock element to it that the first three tracks have in any way. Instead, this one has an early 2000s Funky Hip Hop feel to it. This is mainly due to the song’s sample, which comes from the song ‘Beautiful’ by Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, and Charlie Wilson. The influence of Cash Cobain on this song is huge as well, as the beat has that sort of off-center Drill feeling that he has become known for. All of the vocal performances on ‘ATTITUDE’ are great. Don Toliver especially stands out, but all three artists certainly do their thing. ‘ATTITUDE’ does sort of sound out of place compared to the first three tracks, but it is a more than solid track for what it’s worth.
Disc 2 begins with the single that was released before this album came out, ‘BANDIT.’ This one has grown on me a ton since it came out. I have to say when it came out, I was a bit underwhelmed. I was definitely in the minority when it came to this opinion, and I have come to see why so many were into ‘BANDIT’ when it dropped. ‘BANDIT’ is the second song in a row with an iconic sample. This one samples the very popular Psychedelic Alt-Rock song ‘One More Hour’ by Tame Impala. This sample is extremely pitched up and littered with heavy guitar riffs, making this song feel as monumental as the first couple of tracks on the record. Don Toliver’s vocals on this song are super strong, matching the huge energy of the instrumental. ‘BANDIT’ was not my favorite track of Don Toliver’s when it came out, but it has grown on me. ‘GLOCK’ has a sound that is totally different from anything that precedes it. This track is a lot lighter and softer than any of the previous tracks. ‘GLOCK’ is driven by a sample from the song ‘Exhale(Shoop Shoop)’ by Whitney Houston. This sample is extremely pitched up, giving the song a Chipmunk Soul feeling that is reminiscent of early Kanye music(albeit with a bass-heavy Trap component). It is kind of funny to me that a song called ‘GLOCK’ would have this kind of sound. Don Toliver’s vocal performance on this track is delicate and sweet, matching the energy of the instrumental super fluidly. ‘GLOCK’ is a track that shows a softer side to Don Toliver’s artistry that I can appreciate. ‘ICE AGE,’ which features Travis Scott, continues the smoother R&B feeling that the last song had. The Travis Scott influence on this one is very apparent, as this instrumental is so atmospheric. The synths that drive this melody make me feel like I am floating when I hear this track. The melody almost has a grungey element to it as well, which makes the track very gloomy. Travis Scott dominates ‘ICE AGE’ in a way that makes it feel like he is actually the lead artist. In the second half of the song, the instrumental changes and gets a bit harder, which definitely fits Don Toliver’s vocal style better. ‘ICE AGE’ is a solid track for what it is worth, but it does feel like Don Toliver gets overshadowed. ‘4X4’ brings back the tougher sound we were getting earlier in the album. This song sounds like it should have been behind ‘TORE UP’ and ‘BROTHER STONE,’ as it contains a heavy metal element through the guitar riff that drives the melody. ‘4×4’ is such a gritty and intense track that would be perfect for any workout playlist. It is the kind of song that will infuse anyone with energy because of its rigorous melody and beat. ‘4X4’ contains what is probably Don Toliver’s best vocal performance of the record so far as well. He shows off his range on this one and it’s a lot of high notes make the track hit that much harder. ‘4×4’ is a cool song where Don Toliver shines, but it does feel kind of place with its placement on the record.
Disc 3 begins with another song where the featured artist seems to dominate the track a bit too much. ‘PURPLE RAIN’ with Future and Metro Boomin sounds like it could have been on one of their two records that came out this year. Regardless, it’s one of my favorite songs on the record so far. The bright and soaring synths that make up the melody are so groovy and grand, and the beat will make anyone bop their head. Both Don Toliver and Future kill it on ‘PURPLE RAIN,’ showing off their vast vocal ranges and rapping with such smooth and fun flows. ‘PURPLE RAIN’ does kind of get controlled by Future, but Don Toliver more than holds his own on this one. ‘NEW DROP’ is a completely different style of song than anything that precedes it. This is the first track on the album that is not Trap music. There are also elements of House music in ‘NEW DROP.’ The beat goes back and forth between Trap and House, keeping the listener on their toes and keeping the beat fresh. ‘NEW DROP’ has a very Psychedelic feeling as well. The guitar riffs that come out of this one are so Trippy and sound like they come from a different dimension. Don Toliver’s vocal performance on ‘NEW DROP’ is solid, but I feel like he could have done more. This could be one of the top songs on the record for me if the vocals were more dynamic, but I feel like Don Toliver dropped the ball a bit to make this one truly it. Regardless, ‘NEW DROP’ is an enjoyable track that is bound to get the club jumping. ‘BACKSTREETS,’ which features Teezo Touchdown, is unfortunately a complete letdown for me. This song is okay, but I think that the Teezo Touchdown feature was just wasted. On an album with so much Heavy Metal influence, you would think that the instrumental with Teezo would be rocking. Instead, Teezo is featured on a pretty basic R&B Trap song. This instrumental is not bad, but neither artist does a ton of it to engage me. I think they could have done something very special with Teezo Touchdown considering the direction things were going earlier, but the ball was dropped with ‘BACKSTREETS.’ ‘DEEP IN THE WATER’ is the other song that was released as a single prior to the album. Out of the three singles, this is the one that grabbed me the least. I did enjoy ‘ATTITUDE’ a ton when it came out and have come to appreciate ‘BANDIT,’ but this one does not do it for me. Like the previous track, this one has a pretty generic R&B Trap sound that just feels too cookie-cutter. Don Toliver’s vocal performance on this one is pretty nice, but his vocals do not do enough to save the track for me. ‘DEEP IN THE WATER’ closes out Disc 3 in a pretty boring manner.
‘INSIDE’ is the second song that features Travis Scott. Unlike the other one, Travis Scott does not feel like the main artist and the sound of the track is nothing like anything he is known for. Instead, this has a bright, smooth, and retro R&B Trap sound that is reminiscent of artists like 6lack or Brent Faiyaz. This silky direction is not something I have heard from Don Toliver before, and I have to say he nails it. Both he and Travis Scott sound excellent on this one and take this song’s already sultry feeling and make it so much hotter. I did not know that either Don Toliver or Travis Scott had this kind of song in them, and I would love to hear both of them try it more. ‘5 TO 10’ continues the warm and laid-back sound that the last track had. Once again, this song has a groovy feeling that has an old-school element that I dig. The instrumental for ‘5 TO 10’ is so cozy and free. Don Toliver’s vocal performance on ‘5 TO 10’ takes the cozy feeling of the track and amplifies it. His vocals give this song an all-encompassing sound that makes it so enticing. ‘5 TO 10’ is the kind of song that makes me want to drive around on a warm summer night with the windows down, which is a feeling that I love. ‘LAST LAUGH’ continues the nostalgic R&B Trap sound that the first two songs of Disc 2 had. Out of the three songs with this sound, this is the one that grabs me the least. It is not a bad song at all and I could see it being a favorite for a lot of people, but the previous two songs engaged me a bit more. I do not exactly know what it is about ‘LAST LAUGH’ that is pushing me away a bit, as it does have one of my favorite vocal performances of the record. For what it is worth, his vocals on this song are so dynamic. ‘LAST LAUGH’ does not quite live up to two other songs in this style, but it is still a quality track for sure. I wondered if Don Toliver would go back to the more intense sound for the last song of the album or stick with this more pleasant sound to close things out. The answer to this question is kind of both.’HARDSTONE NATIONAL ANTHEM’ is a lot more intense than the other songs on Disc 4, but it also is a lot more charming than some of the other harder songs on the record. The synths that drive this track, which have a celestial tone, are so fat and distorted, giving this track so much power. Don Toliver’s vocal performance on this track is just as powerful as the instrumental. I especially enjoy when the vocal effects come in at the end of ‘HARDSTONE NATIONAL ANTHEM,’ as they add to the massive feeling that the track has. Don Toliver had to close this record out with a bang, and he did it gracefully on ‘HARDSTONE NATIONAL ANTHEM.’
Coming into HARDSTONE PSYCHO, I did not know what to expect. I thought that Don Toliver was going to be the next melodic Trap artist to take over the game after listening to his first two records, but 2023’s Love Sick was a step backward in my opinion. After hearing the first two singles from this record, I was worried(although as I have said, ‘BANDIT’ has grown on me). For the most part, though, I did enjoy HARDSTONE PSYCHO a bunch. I do not understand some of the sequencing on this record. If this album was going to be divided into four discs, you would think they would all have a cohesive theme, but this does not seem to be the case. Also, there are a few tracks that I would consider to be throwaways, particularly on Disc 3. Still, HARDSTONE PSYCHO has so much to love. Don Toliver pushes his boundaries sonically on this record; multiple times, he goes in directions I would never expect from him and nails it. Don Toliver shows off his vocal chops many times on this record. His range on some of these songs is very impressive and makes them so vibrant. In my opinion, Don Toliver is not completely living up to his potential yet, but he is getting there. HARDSTONE PSYCHO is a quality melodic Trap record full of bangers, and it proves that Don Toliver is definitely a force to be reckoned with in Hip Hop today.
EAST SIDE VIBES 