Biography
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Born
22 October 1964 (age 61)
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Born In
Fairfax, Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
TobyMac (usually styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC) is an American Christian recording artist, rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. He was born Kevin Michael McKeehan on October 22, 1964, in Fairfax, Virginia.. He first rose to prominence as a member of the influential Christian trio dc Talk (with Michael Tait and Kevin Max), and later established a long-running, successful solo career. dc Talk formed in the late 1980s and through the 1990s became one of the most popular acts in contemporary Christian music. dc Talk formed in the late 1980s and through the 1990s became one of the most significant acts in contemporary Christian music. In 1995, the release of “Jesus Freak” marked a turning point for the group. Although the title referenced Jesus directly, it allowed them to breakthrough into the secular world. Their fourth album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200, went double platinum, and marked a stylistic shift toward rock and grunge, while retaining their hip-hop roots. Their final studio album in 1998, Supernatural debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling over 106,000 copies in its first week.
After dc Talk went on hiatus around 2000, TobyMac launched his solo career. He has released numerous diverse albums covering different styles, including hip hop, pop, Christian contemporary, and electronic. TobyMac launched his solo career with Momentum (2001), followed by Welcome to Diverse City (2004), an album that explored themes of diversity and social issues while featuring collaborations with other Christian artists. He continued shaping his signature blend of hip hop, pop, and contemporary Christian music with Portable Sounds (2007) and Tonight (2010). His 2012 album Eye on It became one of his most commercially successful projects, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—only the third Christian album at the time to do so—selling 69,000 copies in its first week and later winning the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. He followed this success with This Is Not a Test (2015), which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, reached No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart in its first week, and earned him another Grammy in 2016. In 2022, he released Life After Death, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Albums chart and produced the hit single “Help Is On the Way (Maybe Midnight),” which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. His 2025 release, Heaven on My Mind, became his seventh No. 1 album on the Christian Albums chart. Over the course of his solo career, TobyMac has sold more than 16 million units and earned seven Grammy Awards, cementing his status as one of the most influential figures in contemporary Christian music.
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