![]() “I always looked at those three artists, they’re just crazy artists,” he reflects, “And so to even be in the same conversation as those guys is just something I can hold forever.”Īesthetics are an important part of Toliver’s vibe: he estimates the current breakdown of his artistry as being 70 per cent music, 30 per cent visuals. Specifically, what he calls “the trifecta” of Ye, Kid Cudi and, of course, Scott himself. Toliver has since collaborated with so many of the artists who made him who he is. “I take any chance I can to get it on the map, higher and higher.” He has paid it forward, too, as when he featured local rapper HVN on his track “Smoke”. “I like to pinpoint Houston,” he says, “We have so many talented artists, producers, DJs – so I feel like whenever I can shine a light on some of these characters, I like to give them the shine.” “Houston is one of those cities in America that’s just in its own world, and everyone is starting to want to be part of it,” Toliver says. Toliver says that part of his work will always be to keep Houston’s sound in the limelight (the city’s influence on hip-hop being unmistakable right now – note the rise of Megan Thee Stallion). And it all collided and that was how I met Travis.”Īfter signing to Scott’s Cactus Jack label in 2018, Toliver was invited to stay with the artist in a glass mansion in Hawaii to work on the Astroworld record and he ended up stealing the show with that feature on “Can’t Say,” which sampled a beat from Houston rapper Fat Pat. What did he learn from those years pushing his music in that way? “I got a sense of humbleness,” he replies, “I was trying to get my music span, and trying to get people to hit me up, or give me feedback on what I had – cos I knew I had something. Toliver’s hustle was relentless: “I would go to five clubs a night, one at 10 o’clock, the next at 12, then I’d go to the strip club.” And he would always make a moment to drop one of my songs – it ruffled feathers and raised a lot of attention,” he says. McDaniels was one of the youngest DJs in the city, he would be playing a bunch of different gigs with different crowds. McDaniels, Toliver had also started plugging his solo music around town. Meanwhile, in Houston, with the help of DJ Dr. There’s a YouTube clip of the pair handing a CD to hip-hop maven Joe Budden – who takes it, but also tells them with bemusement, “Stop handing CDs out, no CDs.” (A valid response: it was 2017.) Not everything is gonna be peaches and cream, everything ain’t always how it seems, you might have ups and downs, great shows, bad shows – but how you move is the whole thing.”įollowing the release of the Playa Familia mixtape, Josh and Don flew to New York, trying to get their music into the hands of everyone they could. “Me having those moments of doing five or six songs in front of people who might be like, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ – at the end of the day I was still getting my point across, and I feel like those experiences go a long way in your musical journey. “Playing underground shows gave me a perspective on how humans consume live music,” he recalls. The pair soon hit the streets, performing in underground Houston venues. Josh became producer YungJosh93, and Caleb assumed the title of ‘Don’. The PlayStation camera songs were loved by his school friends and so, after he graduated, Toliver and his buddy Josh started to make music together under the name Playa Familia. “I’m a southern artist, I almost wanna put an exclamation on it,” he says, “My energy is like, gung-ho, go-get-it energy, which I think gives me the southern vibe.” Toliver’s father, Bongo, even sang on several tracks for southern rap label, Swishahouse, so that local, laid-back flavour is in Toliver’s blood. I was really drawn to the west coast – Eazy-E is one of my favourite rappers of all time.” Toliver’s own music, however, owes its sound to southern hip-hop and the unique energy of his hometown. “Eazy-E’s music was such a hip-hop relic. “When I was like, 15, my mom bought me the Eazy-Duz-It CD, it’s like the craziest thing she ever did,” he laughs. A self-described “adventurous kid,” Toliver was surrounded by music, becoming suffused in everything from soul to pop, via his mother’s favourite Justin Timberlake tracks, and, of course, rap. ![]() In fact, his earliest music recordings were done via his PlayStation Eye camera. Caleb Zackery Toliver grew up in Alief, a working-class neighbourhood of Houston, dreaming about making video games.
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