Dc Talk

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dc Talk

Origin Flag of United States Lynchburg, Virginia
Country United States
Years active 1989–2000
Genres Christian rock
Christian hip hop
Labels ForeFront Records
Members Toby McKeehan
Kevin Max
Michael Tait

dc Talk (also DC Talk and dc talk) is a Christian rock band formed in the late 1980s in Lynchburg, Virginia by Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait. They began as a hip hop group, but in the mid-90s they reinvented themselves as a pop/rock group. In both instances, they found critical and commercial success in both the Christian music industry as well as the general market.[1] In 2000, the group was put on hiatus as its members pursued their individual solo careers.

Contents

[edit] History

The band's roots trace back to the late 1980s, when rapper/vocalist Toby McKeehan (tobyMac) started writing Christian hip hop under the moniker Caucatalk. While attending Liberty University, he formed dc Talk by joining up with vocalists Kevin Max Smith (Kevin Max) and Michael Tait. The name is short for Decent Christian Talk; the explanation can be found in the lyrics of the song "Time Ta Jam" which is on their self-titled debut album.

In 1989, the group released their self-titled debut album on ForeFront Records. They gained some crossover success when the "Heavenbound" music video received airplay on the BET network. Their follow-up album, Nu Thang (1990), also received attention for its hip hop/pop stylings (a la M.C. Hammer, Fresh Prince and Public Enemy, whom they frequently sample on Free at Last).

DC Talk, 1989
DC Talk, 1989

Their third release, 1992's Free at Last, was a tremendous success, producing six Christian radio hits. It was notable for its innovative blending of musical genres, combining hip hop with pop, rock, and gospel.

The group's best-known achievement, however, was their fourth album, 1995's Jesus Freak. This time, dc Talk had reinvented themselves as a pop-rock act, with little to no hip hop to be found. Now their music was much more similar to a fusion of the musical stylings of Nirvana, U2 or the Red Hot Chili Peppers than M.C. Hammer. The album also produced several radio hits. This album has been cited as one of the milestones in Christian music, as it appealed to a much wider audience and achieved much crossover success, having sold over 2 million copies. dc Talk capitalized on this phenomenal success by headlining a tour called "Welcome To The Freak Show", with live recordings later released on CD and VHS. They also wrote two books in collaboration with The Voice of the Martyrs, Jesus Freaks and Jesus Freaks II, each containing dozens of profiles of famous and lesser known Christians who died for their faith.

Their last all-new album, Supernatural (1998), was not nearly the critical or commercial success as the previous two albums, but it also churned out its share of hits. The songs "Consume Me" & "My Friend (So Long)" received their fair share of radio play on Modern Rock, Contemporary Christian and Alternative outlets. dc Talk did release one last album titled Intermission, but it had only two new song titles, and mostly either greatest hits or remixes of previous recorded songs.

dc Talk also participated in Rocketown Records's Exodus album in 1998 with the song "My Will."

dc Talk has been awarded four Grammy Awards, as well as numerous GMA Dove Awards. The group is notable for its stances against racism (especially in "Colored People", track two of Jesus Freak), as well as the uncompromised Christian message in its music. "We're very open about our Christian faith," says McKeehan, "but when we make our records we want to create a musical experience that anyone can immerse themselves in." But still, he says, "one of our goals is to encourage listeners to question themselves and to seek out truth."

[edit] Solo Efforts

In 2000, the trio announced that they would be producing solo projects. Since that time, Toby McKeehan, under the name "tobyMac" has released three solo records (five including remix albums), Michael Tait (with his band, Tait) has released two, and Kevin Max has released three.

In September 2002, dc Talk reunited to record and release a single about the September 11, 2001 attacks, entitled "Let's Roll."

There were rumors of a possible reunion tour, though as of September 2005, Kevin Max denies the rumors. He writes on his official website's message board, "DC Talk is something of the past. In order for DC Talk to be anything of the future, it will be up to each individual member to come together to create something that is lasting and substantial. There is an audience out there interested in seeing DC Talk back together as a group and as an entertaining and creative force, but I feel that the spirit of the thing is dead. I appreciated the time that we had together those many years, and I thank God many times over for allowing me to be a part of something that was so far reaching and helped so many people, but to be honest, just doing a show to do a show is not interesting to me. It must be thought out, creative and passionate."

In a recent concert with his band Tait, Michael Tait denied rumours of dc Talk's coming back, saying that he was focusing now on Tait.

In 2005, dc Talk reunited for a remix of tobyMac's "Atmosphere" as the final track of the Welcome to Diverse City album.

On January 12, 2006, Gotee Records (founded by dc Talk's Tobymac) announced the production of a 10th anniversary Jesus Freak tribute album entitled FREAKED!. This album, which was released in June 2006, features songs from such Gotee Records artists as Relient K, Sarah Kelly, House of Heroes, Verbs, Liquid, and Family Force 5. It also features a reunion of the Gotee Brothers.

In 2004, Toby McKeehan and Michael Tait reunited to write a book called "Under God". The book chronicles America's struggle with racism. Featured in the book are stories about Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, and Martin Luther King, Jr.. They also released a sequel called "Living Under God", following the same formula.

In September 2005, dc Talk briefly reunited during a concert in Washington state. They played the songs, "In the Light" and Jesus Freak.

In August 2006, an album titled The Early Years was released. It is a compilation of songs from their first three albums.

On December 26, 2006, a 10th Anniversary Special Edition Jesus Freak album was released.

Despite the lack of a recent group CD, Christian radio stations continue to play the band's music heavily. As the three friends find success separately, millions of fans across the world hopefully wait for dc Talk to reunite. In a recent interview, Tobymac talked about a possible reunion tour "at some point". [1]

[edit] Discography

Cover Title Year Label(s) The Billboard 200
Chart Position		 RIAA
Certification
DC Talk 1989 ForeFront N/A N/A
Nu Thang 1990 ForeFront N/A Gold
Free at Last 1992 ForeFront N/A Platinum
N/a Free at Last: Extended Play Remixes 1994 ForeFront N/A N/A
Jesus Freak 1995 ForeFront
Virgin		 16 2x Platinum
Welcome to the Freak Show 1997 ForeFront 109 Gold
Supernatural 1998 ForeFront
Virgin		 4 Platinum
Intermission: the Greatest Hits 2000 ForeFront 81 Gold
Solo:Special Edition 2001 ForeFront 142 N/A
The Early Years 2006 ForeFront N/A N/A
Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition 2006 ForeFront N/A N/A

[edit] Literature

Title Year
Jesus Freaks 1999
Live Like a Jesus Freak 2001
Jesus Freaks Volume II: Stories of Revolutionaries Who Changed Their World Fearing God, Not Man 2002
Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries 2005
Jesus Freaks: Martyrs 2005

[edit] Videography

Title Year RIAA Certification
Rap, Rock, and Soul 1992
Narrow is the Road 1994 Gold
Welcome to the Freak Show 1997, 2003 Gold
The Supernatural Experience 1999, 2003
Free at Last: the Movie 2002

[edit] Gospel Music Awards

Name Year Award Title
Nu Thang 1991 Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year
I Love Rap Music 1992 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year
Rap, Rock & Soul 1992 Long Form Music Video of the Year
Can I Get a Witness? 1993 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year
Jesus Is Just Alright 1994 Rock Recorded Song of the Year
Socially Acceptable 1994 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year
Luv Is A Verb 1995 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year
dc Talk 1996 Artist of the Year
Jesus Freak 1996 Rock Recorded Song of the Year
Jesus Freak 1996 Song of the Year
Between You and Me 1997 Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
Like It, Love It, Need It 1997 Rock Recorded Song of the Year
Jesus Freak 1997 Short Form Music Video of the Year
Colored People 1998 Short Form Music Video of the Year
Exodus 1999 Special Event Album of the Year
The Supernatural Experience 2000 Long Form Music Video of the Year
Dive 2001 Modern Rock Recorded Song of the Year

[edit] Grammy Awards

Title Year Label(s) Award name
Free at Last 1993 ForeFront Best Rock Gospel Album
Jesus Freak 1996 ForeFront Best Rock Gospel Album
Welcome to the Freak Show 1997 ForeFront Best Rock Gospel Album
Solo 2001 ForeFront
Virgin		 Best Rock Gospel Album

[edit] Charting Single

Year Title Chart Positions[1] Album
Billboard Hot 100 US Adult Top 40 US Adult Contemporary US Top 40 Mainstream
1996 "Between You and Me" #29 #11 #24 #15 Jesus Freak

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com.

[edit] External links

 v • d • e dc Talk
Toby McKeehan – Michael Tait – Kevin Max
Discography
Albums: DC Talk – Nu Thang – Free at Last – Jesus Freak – Supernatural – Solo
Live Album: Welcome to the Freak Show
Compilations: Intermission: the Greatest Hits – The Early Years
Tributes: Freaked!
Singles: Jesus Freak
Movies: Free at Last: the Movie
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