Shreveport, Louisiana native Austin Tolliver is a singer/songwriter/rapper with a well rounded array of musical influences from rap artists like Tupac, Nelly, and Eminem to country ones alike, including George Strait, Tim McGraw, and Colt Ford. Each tune on his debut album Ride 4 Me not only represents his diverse collection of genres, but they also represent the cycle of emotions this year while honing in on his craft.
The 12-track album, releasing today (4/22), showcases stories from deep within his past, consisting of what’s been the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of Tolliver and his road to music stardom. Take the title track “Ride 4 Me”, an awesome tune where rap style is in full force. Tolliver’s vocals, being totally suited for country-rap, lend credence to the lyrics, creating an extremely catchy song. So is the last track “Lifestyle”, a rap heavy track focused on living the high life and features Colt Ford, who also happens to be co-founder of Tolliver’s label Average Joe Entertainment.
Edgier tunes encompass the raw side in the mid-album favs. “Pain Pill” is full of raw emotion and the combination of lyrics like “this dream shoulda come with a pain pill” and “Nashville can make you hurt” along with the gritty nature of Tolliver’s vocals, create the scene of how a dream of success in music,changes with the realization that it can come with a lot of negatives. While there’s a bit of edgy, moody tunes, mid-album also brings more country twang about girls, trucks, and alcohol.
One such track, “Little Bit of Me”, is all about “love in bloom” when a guy meets a girl that he finds is just like him. This song pays homage to current country acts or mention of lines from familiar hits like, “She’s FGL with a little Strawberry Wine” and “she’s a BBQ stain on my white tee, a whole lotta her and a little bit of me”, making this tune a perfect summer song along with “Tailgate Party”, where party time in the sticks with friends, booze, and a little college football talk (Bama and Georgia).
Ride 4 Me isn’t just all country or all rap, but it’s a fantastically engineered combination of both, along with Tolliver changing the texture of his vocals, showcasing his ability to perform just about any type of song and creating an easy flow from one mood to the other. Go check it out!
Ride 4 Me Track List
- “Dip Low” (Bobby Shifteh)
- “Ride 4 Me” (Austin Tolliver and Aaron Lamont)
- “Pain Pill ft. Bezz Believe” (Bobby Shifteh, Austin Tolliver, Bezz Believe)
- “Little Bit Of Me” (Bobby Shifteh)
- “Tip My Hat” (Austin Tolliver and Aaron Lamont)
- “Crash Course” (Bobby Shifteh)
- “Can’t Get Away From Me” (Bobby Shifteh, Austin Tolliver, Wesley David Breit)
- “Amnesia” (Bobby Shifteh)
- “Louisiana Lullaby” (Bobby Shifteh)
- “Yodelay You Down” (Austin Tolliver, Cotrell Jermaine Qualls)
- “Tailgate Party” (Bobby Shifteh)
- “Lifestyle ft. Colt Ford” (Austin Tolliver, Aaron Lamont, Colt Ford)
Download/stream Ride 4 Me here.
For more information on Austin Tolliver, visit his website and follow him on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.