.jpg)
17 hours ago
2
The Cactus Jack rapper's fifth album arrived with features from Travis Scott, Rema, SahBabii, Teezo Touchdown and YEAT.
1/30/2026
Don Toliver Jack McKain
The passing of Don Toliver’s uncle and his love of motorcycles fueled the Houston native’s Hardstone Psycho album, and two years later, Don returned to transfer that energy to his appreciation for cars and all things being a motorhead for OCTANE.
Toliver has taken the reins as a co-captain in Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack army, while evolving into a modern rap star in the niche 2020’s hip-hop landscape (Toliver will headline night one of Rolling Loud for the first time in May).
OCTANE arrived on Friday (Jan. 30) with 18 tracks and serves as Toliver’s fifth studio album. The project boasts a smaller guest list than previous albums, while inviting YEAT, Rema, Teezo Touchdown, SahBabii and Travis Scott into the fold. Don continues his streak of having La Flame on every one of his five LPs.
Toliver was in search of a landmark for the project and discovered the Mount Wilson Observatory, where he discovered inspiration and an anchor for OCTANE in the San Gabriel Mountains outside of Pasadena, California.
The 31-year-old recorded a portion of the album at Mount Wilson, shot the black-and-white cover art and filmed Frankenstein-inspired visuals while building out the world for OCTANE.
Mount Wilson happens to be a cornerstone of modern astrology. The observatory’s main claim to fame dates back about a century, when astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered there were galaxies beyond the Milky Way in 1925, and we are living in just one of the many in existence.
Don Toliver pushes the envelope of psychedelic trap while showcasing his versatility, playing in various genres and melodies throughout the album, his strongest LP to date.
Gas up, here are all 18 tracks from OCTANE ranked.
-
“Excavator”
“Excavator” plays it safe compared to more of the creative risks and daring production pushing the genre boundaries at other spots on OCTANE. Not that it’s lazy, but more of a song that Don could’ve had on other projects he’s released.
-
“Tuition”
A woozy beat and a second reference to the strip club. He paints the picture of a dancer who caught his attention, but leaves with her best friend after securing a bag, which kills the dream of any real connection. “Tuition” doesn’t contain the N2O tank strapped to other cuts on the LP.
-
“Gemstone”
A marching band horn arrangement, nobody saw that coming. “Gemstone” is one of those OCTANE cuts I need to see a live performance of, which should only give the 30 Roc-produced cut more momentum going forward. A Fast and Furious reference is fitting, while the revved-up track feels cinematic.
-
“Pleasure’s Mine”
What starts as a sedated R&B track, Don makes a sharp right turn into a beat switch boasting skittering production, but the Houston native plays it cool on the penultimate song, while setting the stage for a grand finale. It’s easy to get lost in the dizzying nature of “Pleasure’s Mine,” which could get a second life on tour.
-
“ATM”
While Don executive produces all of his projects, he got involved with the production on a few tracks this time around, including putting his synthesizer to use on “ATM.” It feels like a callback to the futuristic soundscapes laid by N.E.R.D., while Don opens up a new world. He shrewdly uses his voice as a shifting instrument, ping-ponging off the wall with a punchier flow.
-
“All the Signs” (feat. Teezo Touchdown)
R&B Don floats on the silky production, but the glitchiness intentionally gnaws at the beauty. Toliver gets explicit about what he wants from his girl while using his voice as an instrument, with his throaty flow feeling like an additional feature. Don opens up about the turbulence of the relationship, but continues to love bomb her. “Guilty if I love you was a crime,” he admits, before later comparing his lover to one of his cars. “You’re like my favorite car, I wanna gas it.”
Teezo Touchdown jumps off the screen and his aggressiveness was so unexpected, I’m still picking up the pieces, wondering what uppercut hit me. Perhaps “All the Signs” could grow, knowing what’s coming from Teezo in the future when pressing play.
-
“Secondhand” (feat. Rema)
Don is a chameleon that can engulf just about any genre and twist it into his own. His malleability bleeds through on “Secondhand” while sprinkling in Afrobeats and inviting Rema into the fold, who has been a visionary for the bubbling genre. Toliver pushes the tempo while desperation kicks in as he attempts to convince a lover they’re meant for each other and he’ll do anything to hold her down. Full transparency, I thought that was Sampha’s croon on the intro on first listen.
-
“Tiramisu”
Perfect for a hypnotic late-night cruise, “Tiramisu” set the table for OCTANE as the project’s lead single. Don blends elements of R&B and melodic trap for a syrupy cut with Cardo behind the boards. The rich dessert is a metaphor for a woman in Don’s life, but overindulge and that sweet treat will have you sick.
-
“Call Back”
Hard-hitting production, a slinky chorus and numbing delivery bring a dynamic combination to the table. Don raves about his girl’s beauty and sneaks in brags about buying a Jeep Rubicon in all cash and how he’s been boozing all day. An absolutely ominous outro doesn’t disappoint either.
-
“Long Way to Calabasas”
“Long Way to Calabasas” slows the pace down and serves as a smooth palette cleanser and interlude of sorts in the midst of OCTANE. The intro’s stripped-down guitar feels reminiscent of XXXTENTACION’s “Jocelyn Flores,” and then R&B Don shows up, putting his wispy vocals on display. Don cruises down US-101 to Calabasas while wondering if what he’s discovered is true happiness or a temporary high.
-
“Body”
Jaasu’s production allows Don to push the envelope here with a tectonic plate-shattering beat built around a sample of Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.” Who else would flip JT’s anthem into an electronic-trap melting pot? There’s a plethora of different melodies from Don on this album, which separates him from his peers and keeps him unique to the point that AI would have a tough time mimicking his flows. One thing’s for sure, Don doesn’t play about his girl either.
-
“K9” (feat. SahBabii)
It’s great to have SahBabii back in our lives. Don clears the lane for King Squid to take off and he doesn’t disappoint. It’s exactly what you’d want from Sah, Seaworld sexual innuendos: “I’m Squid, I’ll give her the ink!” Things get raunchy and SahBabii somehow ends up closing with a reference to the Mexican mafia. There’s more to tap into with Don and Sah.
-
“Rendezvous” (feat. Yeat)
Yeat and Don Toliver should make a joint project at this point. They have a handful of collabs and co-headlined Summer Smash Festival last year, while passing the baton back-and-forth. Don has proven to be the ultimate collaborator throughout his career, notching team-ups ranging from Justin Bieber to Eminem. He can play in any arena and he follows YEAT’s lead on “Rendezvous.” Yeat slithers while ruminating about an intoxicating lover and Toliver finds his own melodic pocket floating high above the ether.
-
“Rosary” (feat. Travis Scott)
Wheezy’s strings meshed with baby soft vocals warm the heart. Travis Scott keeps the streak alive — à la Undertaker at WrestleMania — for what fans joked is a “government-mandated” feature on Don Toliver albums. Toliver gets an ego boost as his girl looks at him like Superman, and “Rosary” melts on the tongue rather than the typical fireworks from the Cactus Jack brothers, but their latest addition to the collaboration history is another win for Houston and ranks near the top of OCTANE.
-
“TMU”
Don Toliver finished OCTANE with his foot fully on the gas pedal. “TMU” is a hazy mix of pop, R&B and rap, and the melodic cocktail is some of his best work on the entire LP. Five albums in, and Don’s evolution continues with every project, and tracks like “TMU” show that he’s continuing to elevate with every release. That’s a straight-up intoxicating transition into “Pleasure’s Mine” as well.
-
“Sweet Home”
The most potent album closer from Don to date, “Sweet Home” samples Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” and he flips the sing-along’s narrative to fit his action-packed expedition. Don paints a vivid picture riding in his two-seater into the California sunset with his partner, Kali Uchis, while jamming to Aretha Franklin with the wind blowing in his braids.
A rare moment of candidness, Don promises to be more present in his relationship — his devotion is a popular thread across the project. If the rumors of this being Don’s last album for a while are indeed true, what a thrilling ride it’s been since the kid from Houston stole the show on ASTROWORLD‘s “Can’t Say.”
-
“E85”
Welcome to OCTANE. In a similar fashion to how Kanye digs through the crates to flip samples into the engine for his own tracks, Don shrewdly meshes Malcolm Todd’s “Chests Pain (I Love)” into a string arrangement that leads to a melodic trap mix that sounds foreign to the ear for listeners, but it’s addictive to the point you want more. His elastic vocals change the song’s texture, but his ability to surround all of that chaos with a catchy Dumb & Dumber-referencing chorus is what gives “E85” a chance to be a hit.
-
“Opposite”
“OPPOSITE” snippets drew plenty of hype from fans, and the turn-up tune clears the bar. Don floats above the futuristic production and blacks out with some of his best rapping on the entire album. The first two bars of the snappy chorus are already stamped on my brain and impulsively play on a loop. “Drop the octane in the styrofoam/ Keep the 9 Beretta, it’s a two-tone,” he raps in his nasally robotic tone. This is another track that should blow the roof off arenas come tour time.
English (US)