As it’s been told before, Don Toliver, whose debut album, L.O.A.D. (Life of a Don), drops this July, began creating music at age 17 with no prior knowledge or guidance on what to do. Now at 26, Toliver’s single from the upcoming debut, “What You Need”, is bouncing around and his name holds weight—he’s someone to know and someone whom everyone wants to work with (recently including the likes of Rico Nasty, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, Nas, the list goes on). “It took time,” he recalls. “It wasn’t an overnight thing at all. I had to do a lot, but it feels good to get here.”
Don keeps his cool while on set as he gets his hair retwisted, casually smoking and snacking a bit. The crew have created an organic energy on set, where the rotation of setups and looks feels like something they do all the time. Don has just completed his first look, and remarks on what he feels he’s mindfully kept consistent to date. “I really just do the same thing I’ve been doing,” he remarks, “which is just record, stay creative, stay in a creative mind space, and, you know, stay positive within each situation as much as I possibly can.”
Like Sheck, consistency has been a major key to Don’s rise and the biggest lesson learned in the business. “You want to be the same person every time,” he declares. “You don’t want to confuse two people, because it leaves space for questions. I like people to know straight up front: it’s hard, this is serious. It’s something that you can’t contain.” He shares that Cactus Jack vibes and internal loyalty keep the bar high. “We’re just a group of friends who just take it to another level,” he smiles of the dynamic. “And just me evolving as a person kind of just keeps that real deal youth within me.”
