tobyMac Albums (6)
'Alive and Transported'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 42
Label EMI CMG
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Tobymac commands the stage in this whirlwind of grooves, beats, and hooks, all given with the music master's funkified delivery. No one can touch the former dc Talk member's spitfire presence or the top-notch rhythm section backing him up. The project was recorded live in Houston on the Portable Sounds tour. At 20 tracks, it's a generous helping of some of the most contemporary hip-hop/pop available to Christian teens. The man says it best himself -- they "rock the show in stereo!" ~ Jared Johnson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Take this any way you want, but the fact is that Tobymac is pretty much the Justin Timberlake of the Christian pop set. A refugee from a successful boy band, he is jaw-droppingly talented, with a gift for both butt-kickingly funky grooves and irresistible hooks. Like Timberlake, he also knows how to distribute his hooks, doling them out carefully so as to keep your attention focused; he also possesses the admirable ability to work in a wide variety of styles without ever sounding like a panderer or a dilettante. On his third solo album, he opens with the fun and funky "One World," then settles into a pretty neo-soul groove on "Made to Love" before jumping into a rock-ish hip-hop mode on "Boomin'," and then lapsing into straight-up rock & roll on "I'm for You." Every one of those tracks feels perfectly natural -- though he does sound a bit too much like a Sting imitator during the reggae interlude near the end of "Made to Love." "Ignition" and the embarrassingly titled "Feelin' So Fly" both invoke the glory days of '70s soul. Almost everything here rises to an almost amazing level of musical quality and pure pop joy; the only flies in the ointment are the between-song sketches (please, someone pass a law against between-song sketches) and the obligatory track featuring his son, TruDog -- who seems like a genuinely nice and even talented kid, but whose appearances on his dad's records are just too cloying to be enjoyable to anyone outside the family. Highly recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Renovating->Diverse City'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 13
Label Forefront
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Fans responded well to the remix of his first solo effort, Momentum, so in the wake of Tobymac's Dove Award-winning sophomore album, Welcome to Diverse City, the former Toby McKeehan undoubtedly thought, "Why not?" Renovating->Diverse City is a lean but buoyant collection that never overstays its welcome, despite appearing just a little over a year after the original. Some of these remixes aren't tweaked very severely. Neither the "Shortwave Radio" version of "Burn for You" nor "Getaway Car" sound much different beyond their amplified rhythms. (A more drastically reimagined "Burn for You" is available as a bonus track.) However, Christopher Stevens and Brent Milligan transform the anthemic guitar pop of "Gone" into a contemplative, gentle reverie with layered harmonies and a string section. "Slam" gets a makeover, too. The original was pretty overwrought, a too-obvious take on Saliva's secular world X-Games hit "Click Click Boom." But on Renovating->Diverse City it's not nearly as eager, drifting closer to Linkin Park with its plaintive piano loops and letting the raps in the middle breathe a little. Like Re: Mix Momentum, Renovating->Diverse City is almost exclusively for the Tobymac faithful. Despite the remixing and abbreviated track list, it's too close to the original to stand on its own. But for the devoted it's a reinforcement of that album's messages, and does offer a fresh look at a few of the songs. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
'Welcome to Diverse City'
Release Date 10/5/2004
Tracks 16
Label Forefront
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Toby McKeehan (aka tobyMac) is a founding member of the celebrated Christian hip-hop/R&B group dc Talk, but has been slowly building a significant solo career for himself as well. His 2001 debut album was well received, and his sophomore effort is an impressive melting pot of hip-hop, dancehall reggae, and guitar rock. Like most such albums, it could stand to be trimmed by 15 or 20 minutes (the cutesy little kid cameo is overlong and unnecessary, for example), but at its core Welcome to Diverse City is well written, beautifully sung, and nicely produced, with a satisfying variety of styles and textures. "The Slam" is a sort of funky nu-metal (but that's meant in a good way); "Hey Now" is a swooningly hooky rock-R&B hybrid; "Fresher Than a Night at the W" is straight-up old school hip-hop. Best of all is the P-Funkified title track, which features a cameo by none other than Bootsy Collins himself. "Getaway Car" and "Phenomenon" should probably have been relegated to B-side status on a CD single, but they're not bad, just not up to the high standard set by almost every other song on this very fine album. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Tobymac busted from the remains of dc Talk in 1999 to release one of the most intense offerings that 2001 had to offer. In 2003 the songs resurfaced in the form of Re: Mix Momentum. Cuts like the remix of "Yours" rise from the ashes with a shotgun blast to the face as Mac charges ahead on all cylinders, delivering a cut with attitude. The first version of "Love Is in the House" is a mix featuring gospel-tinged musicianship, while the vocals delivered by Mac and crew are some of the disc's best. The other version of "Love in the House" is a slant by Dan Muckala. The tune is stripped down with some gospel vocal nuances that excel. Remixed by Jack Shockley, "Extreme Days" takes on a life of its own. The cut changes from full-force power on the chorus to scaled-back, bare-bones production that really grooves, proving less is sometimes more. Re: Mix is a disc that presents classic Mac in several tasty flavors. ~ Steven Douglas Losey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In 2001, dc Talk frontman tobyMac released his first solo project, Momentum. For the artist, also known as Toby McKeehan, the album marked a return to his musical roots, with a blending of hip-hop, rock, rap, pop, and R&B styles. In an interview with his label, ForeFront Records, tobyMac said that the album began "with my wife and I sitting down and praying, seeing if I was supposed to make a record on my own." "I wasn't feeling all that creative at the end of dc Talk's Supernatural tour, so we prayed a real specific prayer," tobyMac continued. "Once I felt I was supposed to do this, then we began praying for creativity. All of a sudden, there was this outpouring…basically a blank canvas with limitless colors." Fresh and innovative, the project leaves no room for mediocrity. Each track stands on its own, with no two tracks merging, but remaining clearly distinct while still managing to contribute to the album's unified whole. Accessible to a variety of musical tastes, the songs range from the intense, guitar-beat-rhythm-fused "Let's Get This Party Started" to the R&B-influenced "Irene," which opens with the sounds of Latin guitars and quickly shifts to rap. Momentum, an album reminiscent of dc Talk's early work, sets itself apart as a project highly deserving of the title "much anticipated." It is intricately detailed with layers of musical depth, combined with strong social messages such as racial reconciliation. And so it is with this release that tobyMac continues to reveal that he is indeed a modern day Renaissance man. ~ Ashleigh Kittle, All Music Guide
