Don Toliver's Octane Album Review: Igniting Warmth in Winter Rap Drought

Hours before the sun breaks the horizon, I sat in my salt-stained sedan, freezing and covered in snow. Winter always makes life feel bland and devoid of energy here in Indianapolis. Artists seem to hibernate as well, leaving many fans craving sounds that will help get them through the valley of the year that is January. On the San Gabriel Mountains, Don Toliver crafted a response to the drought in rap many were experiencing. Back in Indy, as I waited for my engine to warm up, I pressed play on the album that would soon provide the heat I was lacking.

Octane, Don Toliver’s fifth studio album, was recorded in the mountains at the Mount Wilson Observatory — and it feels like it. Somehow, Don Toliver has constructed a project that’s deeply grounded in the current music climate while also pulling melodies from the constellations, blending a sound that feels like the past, present, and future all at once. Every track not only entertains but rewards listeners who’ve been following Don Toliver and the community he exists within. With “E85” sampling rising star Malcolm Todd’s “Chest Pain (I Love),” “Body” sampling Justin Timberlake’s hit “Rock Your Body,” and even “Tiramisu” drawing comparisons to Playboi Carti’s “BACKR00MS,” the first listen of this album is truly a gift you can only grant yourself once.

In today’s rap culture, many artists are trying to stand out by distancing themselves from the genres they grew up in. Yet despite this, Don Toliver manages to evolve his sound in a way that feels authentically his, while introducing new flows and ideas for listeners whose tastes are constantly changing. Familiar names like Travis Scott, Yeat, and Teezo Touchdown make appearances on Octane, reinforcing the idea that Don Toliver has remained true to his roots and the environments that shaped him.

As I pull into parking lot of my day job, full of mounds of snow and ice, I can’t help but think of the San Gabriel Mountains. I look up at the dark, empty sky — devoid of stars — and somehow, that’s alright. Don Toliver has managed to capture them anyway, blasting them straight through my shitty speakers. I step out of my car into the bitter cold, carrying with me the warmth Octane ignited — at least for today.