Welcome to Diverse City (CD - 2004)

Personnel: tobyMac (vocals); Joe Baldridge, Joe Weber, Cary Barlowe (guitar); Solomon Olds (electric guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drum machine, programming); Mark Douthit, Barry Green, Mike Haynes (horns); Brent Milligan (bass guitar); Tim Donahue (drums); Christopher Stevens, Jaime Moore (programming); Gabe Patillo (sound effects); Joanna Valencia, Nirva Dorsaint, Jason Estridge (background vocals); Coffee , dc Talk, Randy Crawford, Superchic[k], T-Bone, Mob-action, TruDog.

When TobyMac (AKA Toby McKeehan) chose to leave his groundbreaking, hit-making, Dove Award-winning Christian rock band DC Talk to pursue a solo career, some fans questioned his judgment. One listen to WELCOME TO DIVERSE CITY, however, should silence even the most ardent naysayers. A career watershed, the album reveals the singer/rapper as an exceptionally creative artist with a musical scope as broad as any act in CCM. "Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)" is an aggressive hip-hop slammer in the vein of "Sabotage"-era Beastie Boys, while "Poetically Correct" incorporates heavy-metal guitars, often recalling the best work of Limp Bizkit and Rage Against the Machine. From there the expansive record progresses though moody Sting-like sophisticated pop ("Atmosphere"), Avril Lavigne-style alternative rock ("Gone"), and rump-shaking, dance-floor funk of the Gap Band/Rick James variety ("Diverse City," "Getaway Car"). Amazingly, the disc never sounds like a mish-mash. Imbued with the passion of faith and the freedom that results from uncompromising artistry, WELCOME TO DIVERSE CITY is a greeting well worth receiving. minimize