DC Talk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids DC Talk
DC Talk members left to right: Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, Kevin Max Smith
Background information
Origin	Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Christian hip hop Christian rock rap rock pop rock alternative rock Christian R&B
Years active	1987–2002 2015 2017–2019 2022
Labels	ForeFront Virgin Capitol CMG Sparrow
Past members	Toby McKeehan Michael Tait Kevin Max

DC Talk (also written as dc Talk) is a famous music group known for its Christian hip hop and rock songs. The group started at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1987. The three members are Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith.

They released five main studio albums: dc Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998). In 2002, a book about Christian music called them "the most popular Christian music group ever."

In 2001, the group released an EP (a shorter album) called Solo. It had two solo songs from each member. Since then, DC Talk has been on a break. All three members have started their own music careers, and two have joined other bands. They have performed together a few times over the years, but the group has not officially gotten back together or broken up.

The group's music style changed a lot over time. Their first two albums, DC Talk and Nu Thang, were mostly hip hop. Their third album, Free at Last, also had a lot of hip hop but started to add rock music. Their last two albums, Jesus Freak and Supernatural, were mostly pop rock. The band is currently on a break, and they have not announced any new albums. They did reunite for a cruise in 2017 and again in 2019.

History of DC Talk

How the Group Started

While studying at Liberty University, Toby McKeehan met Michael Tait. They started performing music together. Michael Tait had sung on a TV show called The Old Time Gospel Hour before. Toby said Michael sang "R&B/church-style music."

Toby and Michael decided to record a song Toby wrote called "Heavenbound." They performed it for 8,000 students at Liberty University. Toby rapped, and Michael sang the chorus. Everyone loved the song! They sold about 3,000 copies of their demo tape, Christian Rhymes to a Rhythm, which included "Heavenbound." They sold these tapes in the Washington D.C. area.

Kevin Max Smith joined the group later. He came from a rock band on campus. Michael Tait heard Kevin sing and they became friends. Kevin then met Toby, and all three moved in together.

In 1988, the group released their first album, which was only on cassette tapes. It was called DC Talk. This album was later released again by a record company called Forefront.

Because their demo tape was so popular, they signed a music contract with Forefront Records in January 1989. Soon after, the three moved to Nashville, Tennessee. They first called themselves "DC Talk and the One Way Crew," but later shortened it to "DC Talk." The "DC" originally came from Washington, D.C., where Toby used to rap. Later, people said "DC" stood for "decent Christian talk."

First Album: DC Talk (1989)

After signing with ForeFront, the group released their first official album, DC Talk, in 1989. The music video for their first song, "Heavenbound," was even shown on the BET network.

Nu Thang (1990–1992)

Their next full album, Nu Thang, and a Christmas EP called Yo! Ho! Ho! both came out in 1990. Nu Thang had two popular songs: "I Luv Rap Music" and "Can I Get a Witness." Besides Christian topics, the band also sang about important social issues. The album's hip hop and pop style helped the band become more well-known. By 1991, Nu Thang had sold 200,000 copies. The band even opened for famous singer Michael W. Smith and won a Dove Award. Their video Rap, Rock, n' Soul also helped them reach more people and was certified gold.

In 1992, Nu Thang sold over 300,000 copies and won the group two more Dove Awards. DC Talk also appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show that year. "Nu Thang" eventually sold over 500,000 copies, which was a huge success for a Christian music artist back then.

Free at Last (1992–1994)

In November 1992, the group released their third album, Free at Last. This album sold over a million copies by 1995! In 2001, a Christian music magazine called "Free at Last" one of the best Christian albums ever. The album included their own versions of "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers and "Jesus Is Just Alright" by the Art Reynolds Singers. Free at Last was the number one Christian album on the Billboard charts for 34 weeks. DC Talk was one of the first Christian groups to perform on a late-night TV show. On November 12, 1993, they sang "Jesus Is Just Alright" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Free at Last also won the group their first Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Rock Gospel Album. This album was very successful because the group started mixing hip hop with pop music. A documentary film was also made about the album. In 1994, the band released a Christmas song, "We Three Kings."

Free at Last: The Movie

During their Free at Last tour, camera crews followed the band to film a documentary. The plan was to release it in movie theaters as Free at Last: The Movie. It was advertised a lot, but then the ads stopped. This was because the movie couldn't find a company to release it. Eight years later, the movie was finally released on DVD, but it wasn't completely finished. Some parts of the movie were used in the music video for their song "The Hardway."

Jesus Freak (1995–1997)

Jesus Freak came out in 1995. It sold more copies in its first week than any other Christian album at that time! It reached number 16 on the main Billboard 200 album chart. This album eventually sold over two million copies. Jesus Freak mixed different music styles, with more pop-rock sounds along with hip hop.

Jesus Freak was a very important album for the group. In 1996, they signed a deal with Virgin Records to sell their music to a wider audience. This album also won DC Talk their second Grammy.

The song "Jesus Freak" was also very important. Many people believe it was the first time grunge and rapcore music styles were combined in Christian music. It was also the first song not in the "Adult Contemporary" style to win the Dove Award for Song of the Year. The song was even played on some regular radio stations. "Between You and Me" was another popular song. Its video was often shown on MTV and VH1.

After the album came out, the group started a huge tour called the Freakshow Tour. They traveled all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The group released a live video called Live in Concert: Welcome To The Freak Show from the tour. An audio CD of the concert was also released with the same name. This CD sold over 500,000 copies and won DC Talk another Grammy award.

Many people think Jesus Freak is one of the best and most important albums in Christian music history.

Supernatural (1998–2000)

Supernatural, released in 1998, was their last album with all new songs. When it came out, it sold even more copies in its first week than Jesus Freak. It reached number 4 on the Billboard 200 charts, which was amazing for a Christian rock album. Supernatural moved away from the hip hop/rap style of their earlier albums and focused more on a pop/rock sound. The group said in The Supernatural Experience video that this album was special because all three members worked together on it. Songs from the album were played on rock, Christian, and alternative radio stations. The group then went on a 60-city tour across the United States called The Supernatural Experience. Videos from the tour and interviews were put together for The Supernatural Experience video, which also sold well.

Besides touring and recording Supernatural, the group members also wrote a book called Jesus Freaks in 1999 with The Voice of the Martyrs. The book tells short stories about Christians who bravely stood up for their faith. Since then, the group has written other books together.

In 2000, DC Talk hosted a show called Intermission: A Decade of DC Talk. A collection of their best songs, called Intermission: The Greatest Hits, was then released. It had many of their old songs, some remixed and some in their original forms. Two new songs, "Chance" and "Sugar Coat It," were recorded for this album. Intermission reached number 81 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Continued Success (2000–Present)

In 2000, the members announced they would take a break from the group to work on their own music. They released Solo: Special Edition EP. This EP had two new songs from each member's solo projects and a live version of the U2 song "40" sung by all three members. The EP reached number 142 on the Billboard 200 and won DC Talk their fourth Grammy award.

Even though they are on a break, DC Talk has released songs together sometimes. This includes "Let's Roll" (2002), which was about the September 11 attacks. Many collections of their songs have been released during their break, like special 10th-anniversary versions of Free at Last (2002) and Jesus Freak (2006). Other collections include 8 Great Hits (2004), Freaked! (2006), The Early Years (2006), Greatest Hits (2007), and Back 2 Back Hits (2011). The three members often visit each other's concerts and sing DC Talk songs. They also help each other with their solo music. For example, they were featured on TobyMac's song "Atmosphere" (2004) and "Love Feels Like" (2015). Kevin Max sang on a cover of "The Cross" (2007). Most recently, the band was on TobyMac's song "Space" (2022).

Group members TobyMac and Michael Tait, with help from a Christian group called WallBuilders, wrote two books: Under God (2004) and Living Under God: Discovering Your Part in God's Plan (2005). Both books share inspiring stories from American history with a Christian message.

In 2010, the trio performed with other Christian artists like Aaron Shust and Steven Curtis Chapman. They sang in the choir for "Come Together Now," a song about the 2010 Haiti earthquakes. Later that year, Kevin Max said he would love to make more DC Talk music, but he felt "that time has passed us by." He explained that they are all "so different" now, so it would be hard to work together. TobyMac released a song called "Wonderin'" on his album Tonight. This song is a "warm look back at DC Talk" for Toby. On October 11, 2016, the three members performed "Love Feels Like" together at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee for the 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards.

In 2015, a record company called Gotee Records announced that Jesus Freak and Supernatural would be released on vinyl records.

Reunion Cruises

In June 2010, Kevin Max said on Twitter that he was trying to plan a reunion tour for "perhaps" 2011. In January 2011, TobyMac said a reunion tour would "probably happen sooner or later," but not very soon. In January 2014, Michael Tait said he liked the idea of a "20-years-later" tour in 2015. However, TobyMac said that "nothing concrete is in the works" because their schedules were too busy.

DC Talk performed two concerts on July 13, 2017, and a third show on July 14, 2017. These shows were on a cruise ship called the MSC Divina in the Bahamas. The group hinted that they might have more reunions in the future.

In June 2019, the group performed on a second cruise. Michael Tait said in an interview that DC Talk would do a "land cruise" starting in 2020, but this did not happen.

Group Members

• Toby McKeehan
• Michael Tait
• Kevin Max

Band Members Who Played with DC Talk

Timeline of Members

DC Talk Albums

• 1989: DC Talk
• 1990: Nu Thang
• 1992: Free at Last
• 1995: Jesus Freak
• 1998: Supernatural

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

Dove Awards

See also

In Spanish: DC Talk para niños