TobyMac
Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan;[2] October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. His road band is known as Diverse City. He was first known for being a member of the Christian rap and rock trio dc Talk, staying with them from 1987 until they went on hiatus in 2000. He has since continued a successful solo career with the release of nine studio albums: Momentum (2001), Welcome to Diverse City (2004), Portable Sounds (2007), Tonight (2010), Christmas in Diverse City (2011), Eye on It (2012), This Is Not a Test (2015), The Elements (2018), and Life After Death (2022) as well as five remixed albums: Re:Mix Momentum (2003), Renovating Diverse City (2005), Dubbed and Freq'd: A Remix Project (2012), Eye'm All Mixed Up (2014) and The St. Nemele Collab Sessions (2019). He also has two full-length Christmas albums: Christmas in Diverse City (2011) and Light Of Christmas (2017).[3] He became the third Christian artist to have a No. 1 debut on Billboard 200 chart[4] with Eye on It.[5][6]
tobyMac
Kevin Michael McKeehan
Toby McKeehan
October 22, 1964
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
- Rapper
- singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- record executive
1987–present[1]
Between DC Talk and his own solo career, he has sold more than 10 million albums[7] and won seven Grammy Awards.[8] He has had six No. 1 hit CHR singles[9] including "Gone", "Made to Love", and "Lose My Soul". Six singles have gone to No. 1 on Billboard's Christian Songs chart, making him one of the artists with the most No. 1 hits on that chart.[10] His live concert CD+DVD combo album, Alive and Transported, was released in 2008 and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009.[11] His fifth studio album, Eye on It, received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 2013 Grammys,[12] along with his sixth album, This Is Not a Test winning the same award at the 2016 Grammys.[13]
Other work[edit]
He has written two books with Michael Tait and Kevin Max: Jesus Freaks: DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs – Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, the Ultimate Jesus Freaks[123] and Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries: Stories of Revolutionaries Who Changed Their World: Fearing GOD, Not Man.[124] These books are mainly focused on Christian martyrs. He has also written two more books with Michael Tait, one titled, Under God,[125] containing stories of America's spiritual battles, and another book called Living Under God: Discovering Your Part in God's Plan.[126]
He has written a fifth book called City on Our Knees.[127] The book is about how Christians past and present have set aside differences, come together in unity, and stepped forward in action and prayer.
He is the president of the record label Gotee Records. He created the label with Todd Collins and Joey Elwood in order to produce Out of Eden's Lovin' the Day after efforts to sign the group to an established label proved unsuccessful.[128] "We all collectively said, 'Let's just give this a shot'", Elwood recalls; "Three naïve guys, a willing band, and some really good songs."[128] The label was responsible for establishing artists such as Relient K, House of Heroes, Jamie Grace, Capital Kings, and Abandon Kansas. However, as a recording artist, he is under contract with ForeFront Records.
TobyMac has also helped establish a camp, called Camp Electric, located near Nashville, Tennessee, for young musicians who want to have pop and rock skills.[129]
Personal life[edit]
McKeehan and his wife Amanda were married in 1994.[130] Amanda, who comes from Jamaica, is the daughter of Judy and Robert Levy (chairman of the agribusiness firm Jamaica Broilers Group), and the family regularly visits the island.[131] His father died from dementia in 2015 after a degenerative phase, an experience which McKeehan cited as inspiration for some of his newest songwriting as of 2017.[132]
They have had four sons and a daughter: Truett (September 4, 1998 – October 23, 2019), known as TruDog or Tru (stylized as TRU); twins Moses and Marlee, adopted at birth on April 30, 2002; Leo, (b. November 2, 2004);[1] and Judah, (b. March 24, 2006).[1] McKeehan's son Moses suffers from muscular dystrophy.[133]
Truett Foster McKeehan appeared on dc Talk's Solo EP and TobyMac's albums, Momentum, Re:Mix Momentum, Welcome to Diverse City, Renovating Diverse City, Portable Sounds, Tonight, Christmas in Diverse City, Eye on It and Eye'm All Mixed Up as the artist "TruDog" while on This is not a Test he is credited as "TRU". Judah McKeehan has appeared on the albums Tonight and Eye on It with Truett. Truett is featured on the song "Backseat Driver" from This Is Not a Test, as well as on "Alone" from Hollyn's self-titled EP, as "TRU". Truett was an aspiring rapper and waited until he was 21 to start a solo career as Truett Foster. He was found dead at his home in Nashville on October 23, 2019, at age 21 of an accidental drug overdose of fentanyl and amphetamines.[134][135][136][137][138][139] On January 10, 2020, after a hiatus from touring to be with family, TobyMac released "21 Years" as a tribute to his son.[140]