TobyMac facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
TobyMac
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TobyMac performing in 2015
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kevin Michael McKeehan |
| Also known as | Toby McKeehan |
| Born | October 22, 1964 Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
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Kevin Michael McKeehan (born October 22, 1964), known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His touring band is called Diverse City. Many people see him as one of the most important Christian artists ever.
He was a member of the Christian hip-hop and rock group DC Talk from 1987 until they took a break in 2000. Since then, he has had a very successful solo career. He has released ten studio albums, including 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), Life After Death (2022), and Heaven On My Mind (2025). He also released five remix albums.
TobyMac was the third Christian artist to have an album debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with Eye on It. Between his time with DC Talk and his solo work, he has sold over 10 million albums. He has won seven Grammy Awards. Six of his songs, like "Gone", "Made to Love", and "Lose My Soul", have been No. 1 hits on Christian radio. He also has many No. 1 songs on Billboard's Christian Songs chart. His live album, Alive and Transported, won a Grammy in 2009. His albums Eye on It and This Is Not a Test also won Grammys for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
Contents
Musical Journey
Starting with DC Talk (1987–2001)
TobyMac started the group DC Talk with Michael Tait in 1987. They met at Liberty University. In 1988, TobyMac and Tait released an album called Christian Rhymes to a Rhythm. Then, they asked their classmate Kevin Max Smith to join the group.
The trio signed with Forefront Records and began touring after their first album, DC Talk, came out in 1989. In 1990, they released Nu Thang, which was their first album to sell over 500,000 copies (a "gold" album). Their next album, Free at Last, sold over a million copies (a "platinum" album). The band became very popular after performing on TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In 1994, TobyMac helped start the first Christian hip-hop record label, Gotee Records, with Todd Collins and Joey Elwood.
DC Talk released Jesus Freak in 1995. This album sold millions of copies and led to a big world tour. After their song "Between You and Me" became a hit in 1996, the group released Supernatural. This was their last album together and also went platinum. In 2001, the group released Solo, which was a collection of songs from their individual projects. They also recorded a cover of the song "40" by U2. This was their last recording before they decided to take a break.
DC Talk went on hiatus in 2001, and each member started their own solo music careers. They have performed together a few times since then. For example, they played a show in Redmond, Washington, in 2005. TobyMac also made a surprise appearance at Winter Jam in Nashville in 2010. In 2011, he joined Michael Tait to sing "Jesus Freak" in Greensboro, North Carolina. DC Talk has also recorded some songs together since their break, including "Let's Roll" in 2002, which was about the national tragedy of September 11, 2001. They also collaborated on "Love Feels Like" for TobyMac's 2015 album This Is Not a Test.
Solo Career Begins
Momentum (2001–2003)
On November 6, 2001, TobyMac released his first solo album, Momentum. He wrote and recorded the song "Extreme Days" for the 2001 movie Extreme Days. This song was also on the Momentum album. Momentum quickly reached No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. "Extreme Days" was also used in the movie Hangman's Curse. Another song, "Get This Party Started", was featured on the TV show Roswell. His song "Yours" became a Top 5 hit on ChristianRock.net. "Yours", "Extreme Days", "Get This Party Started", and "Momentum" were all used in the Xbox 360 video game Crackdown. Momentum won five Dove Awards and was nominated for a Grammy.
In 2002, TobyMac performed at the Festival Con Dios. Later that year, he released his first Christmas song, "This Christmas". In 2003, he released Re:Mix Momentum, which was a remix album of Momentum. His song "Yours" was used as the theme song for wrestler Sting in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He also appeared on Kirk Franklin's 2002 album The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin.
Welcome to Diverse City (2004–2006)
Welcome to Diverse City was released in October 2004 and sold over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification. The album debuted at No. 54 on the Billboard 200 chart. TobyMac's "Winter Wonder Slam Tour" took place in December 2006. The album's song "The Slam" was used in the movie Never Back Down. It was also featured in commercials for movies like Transporter 2 and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The song was also used in ads for the TV show Prison Break, car commercials, and sports highlights. "Diverse City" was featured in an episode of Veronica Mars and in the game Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4. This album won TobyMac another Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year. A remix version of the album, Renovating->Diverse City, came out in 2005.
Portable Sounds (2007–2008)
TobyMac's third studio album, Portable Sounds, was released in 2007. It sold over 50,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. It also reached No. 1 on the Christian music charts. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award. He won the Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year award for Portable Sounds at the 39th annual GMA Dove Awards. The songs "Made to Love" and "I'm For You" both reached No. 1 on Christian radio. His son, Truett, was featured on the song "Hype Man (truDog '07)". The song "Ignition" was used by ABC/ESPN to promote NASCAR races. "Boomin'" was used to promote a TV show called The Women's Murder Club. In September 2007, his song "Feelin' So Fly" appeared in the movie The Game Plan, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "Ignition" gained worldwide attention when it was used as the Arizona Cardinals' entrance music during the pre-game of Super Bowl XLIII. TobyMac won two Dove Awards for this album, including Artist of the Year. His music video for "Boomin'" also won a Dove Award. Around this time, he wrote "New World" for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He also helped write and record "What We Gonna Do?" for the VeggieTales movie The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie.
Alive and Transported (2008–2009)
In 2008, TobyMac released his first live album as a solo artist. Alive and Transported was recorded during his Portable Sounds Tour in Houston, Texas. It included live versions of popular DC Talk songs like "Jesus Freak". The album came with a DVD of the concert and won him a GMA Dove and a Grammy Award.
Tonight (2010–2011)
His fourth studio album, Tonight, was released on February 5, 2010. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, selling 79,000 copies in its first week. The album's first single, "City on Our Knees", was released in August 2009. This song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart. His oldest son, Truett (TruDog), was featured on a song again, just like on previous albums. The album mixes pop, rock, hip hop, Latin, and funk music. Tonight was listed as the best Christian album of 2010 on iTunes. His Christmas song "Christmas This Year" (featuring Leigh Nash) was named the holiday song of the week on iTunes. The song "City on Our Knees" earned him a Dove Award. The song "Showstopper" was used to promote World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and NCAA Basketball. His single "Tonight" was also used for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
In 2010, TobyMac performed at Revelation Generation. He also toured with Skillet and House of Heroes. He toured with Third Day, Michael W. Smith, and Jason Gray on the "Make a Difference Tour 2010". Tonight was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. His first full Christmas album, Christmas in Diverse City, was released in October 2011. It included songs from members of his Diverse City band and other guest artists like Leigh Nash and Owl City. TobyMac released his third remix album, Dubbed and Freq'd: A Remix Project, in March 2012. It featured remixes of songs from his two previous studio albums.
Eye on It (2012–2014)
His fifth studio album, Eye on It, was released on August 28, 2012. This album made history by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was the first Christian album to do so since 1997. It sold 69,000 copies in its first week.
The first single, "Me Without You", was released in June 2012. It became TobyMac's fifth No. 1 song on Billboard's Christian Songs chart. The song "Family" was used in commercials for the TV show Blue Bloods, including one during the 2013 Super Bowl. "Forgiveness" was a collaboration with Christian rapper Lecrae. The song "Eye on It" was used by Fox Sports Networks for NBA and MLB broadcasts. TobyMac also appeared in the 2013 film I'm in Love with a Church Girl.
A remix album called Eye'm All Mixed Up, featuring remixes from Eye on It, was released in November 2014.
This Is Not a Test (2015–2018)
During his "Worship, Stories, and Songs Tour" in 2014, TobyMac performed a new song called "Beyond Me". This song was released as the first single from his new album in January 2015. His sixth studio album, This Is Not a Test, was released on August 7, 2015. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart. Other songs like "Backseat Driver" and "Feel It" were also released from the album.
In November 2017, he released Light of Christmas, which was his second collection of Christmas songs.
The Elements (2018–2021)
In January 2018, TobyMac released "I Just Need U". This song immediately went to No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart, becoming his sixth No. 1 single there. In July 2018, he released "Everything" as a single. In September 2018, he announced his album The Elements and released "Scars" as a single. The album came out on October 12, 2018. It became his fifth album to reach the top of the Christian Albums chart on Billboard.
On January 10, 2020, he released a song called "21 Years". This song was a tribute to his son, Truett, who passed away unexpectedly on October 23, 2019.
TobyMac released The Lost Demos in May 2020. This was an EP (Extended Play) of old demo songs he found. During the pandemic, he also released acoustic music videos with his Diverse City band and his daughter, Marlee McKeehan.
Life After Death (2022-2024)
In February 2021, TobyMac released "Help Is on the Way (Maybe Midnight)" as a single. In September 2021, he released "Promised Land". In January 2022, he released a new version of "Promised Land" with Sheryl Crow. In June 2022, he released another single called "The Goodness" with gospel artist Blessing Offor.
On June 10, 2022, he announced his album Life After Death, which was released on August 19, 2022. After this, TobyMac announced his Hits Deep Tour for 2023, featuring artists like Crowder and Tasha Layton.
Gabe Patillo, a member of TobyMac's touring band and a studio collaborator, passed away on April 12, 2024, due to health complications.
Heaven On My Mind (2024-present)
On June 7, 2024, TobyMac released "Nothin' Sweeter" as a single. A new version of "Nothin' Sweeter" with Jon Reddick was released on September 27, 2024.
On December 6, 2024, TobyMac released "a lil Church" as a single.
On January 10, 2025, he released "God Did It" as a single.
On February 7, 2025, TobyMac released "Can't Stop Me" as a single.
On March 7, 2025, TobyMac released his tenth studio album, Heaven On My Mind.
Other Work
TobyMac has also written several books. He co-wrote two books with Michael Tait and Kevin Max called Jesus Freaks: DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs – Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, The Ultimate Jesus Freaks and Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries: Stories of Revolutionaries Who Changed Their World: Fearing GOD, Not Man. These books share stories about Christian martyrs. He also wrote two more books with Michael Tait: Under God and Living Under God: Discovering Your Part in God's Plan.
He wrote a fifth book called City on Our Knees. This book is about how Christians have come together in unity and prayer throughout history.
TobyMac is the president of the record label Gotee Records. He started the label with Todd Collins and Joey Elwood. They created it to help groups like Out of Eden release their music when other labels weren't signing them. Gotee Records has helped launch the careers of many artists, including Relient K, Jamie Grace, and Capital Kings. Even though he runs Gotee Records, TobyMac himself records music under contract with ForeFront Records.
TobyMac also helped create Camp Electric, a camp near Nashville, Tennessee. This camp is for young musicians who want to improve their pop and rock music skills.
Personal Life
TobyMac and his wife, Amanda, got married in 1994. Amanda is from Jamaica, and her family is involved in a large agribusiness company there. The family often visits the island. TobyMac's father passed away in 2015 after a long illness. TobyMac has said that this experience inspired some of his songwriting.
TobyMac and Amanda have five children: four sons and one daughter. Their oldest son, Truett (born September 4, 1998), was known as TruDog or TRU. Twins Moses and Marlee were adopted at birth on April 30, 2002. Leo was born on November 2, 2004, and Judah was born on March 24, 2006. TobyMac's son Moses has muscular dystrophy.
Truett Foster McKeehan appeared on DC Talk's Solo EP and many of TobyMac's albums as the artist "TruDog" or "TRU". Judah McKeehan also appeared on some albums with Truett. Truett was an aspiring rapper and started his own solo career. He passed away unexpectedly at his home in Nashville on October 23, 2019, at the age of 21. After taking a break from touring to be with his family, TobyMac released the song "21 Years" on January 10, 2020, as a tribute to his son.
Music 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)
- Life After Death (2022)
- Heaven On My Mind (2025)
Awards and Recognitions
TobyMac has received many awards for his music. Here are some of the main ones:
American Music Awards
- In 2012, TobyMac won the American Music Award for Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist. He was also nominated in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Billboard Music Awards
- In 2013, TobyMac won Top Christian Artist and Top Christian Album for Eye on It. He was also nominated for Top Christian Artist and Top Christian Song ("Me Without You").
- In 2011, he was nominated for Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Song ("Get Back Up"), and Top Christian Album (Tonight).
- In 2014, he was nominated for Top Christian Artist.
Grammy Awards
- In 2009, his live album Alive and Transported won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.
- In 2013, his album Eye on It won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
- In 2016, his album This Is Not a Test won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
- He has also been nominated for many other Grammys, including for his albums Momentum, Welcome to Diverse City, Portable Sounds, Tonight, The Elements, and Life After Death, and for songs like "Made to Love" and "City on Our Knees".
GMA Dove Awards
TobyMac has won many GMA Dove Awards, which celebrate Christian music. Some of his wins include:
- Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year for Momentum (2002) and Welcome to Diverse City (2005).
- Artist of the Year (2008, 2013, 2019).
- Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year for Portable Sounds (2008) and Tonight (2011).
- Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for "City on Our Knees" (2010).
- Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Eye On It (2013) and This is Not a Test (2016).
- Short Form Music Video of the Year for "Boomin'" (2008), "Eye On It" (2013), and "Help Is on the Way (Maybe Midnight)" (2021).
- Long Form Music Video of the Year for Alive and Transported (2009).
See also
In Spanish: TobyMac para niños
