TobyMac definitely knows diversity. For years he led dc Talk, a mult-ethnic
trio. He started Gotee Records, which for ten years has hosted a diverse
list of artists from GRITS to Mars Ill to Jennifer Knapp to Relient K.
TobyMac's music is a fusion of styles from rap to rock to reggae to pop, and
his latest disc shows this more than any other. Read our review along with
our exclusive interview with one of the most respected persons in the
Christian music industry.

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WELCOME TO DIVERSE CITY - TOBYMAC (2004)
by Josh Weekly

tobymac has name recognition. Allow me to demonstrate. I have been receiving
pre-releases, press kits, and other music related mail for as long as my
daughter has been able to make the journey to the mailbox. So needless to
say she has become familiar with the manila bubble packaging that this type
of content generally arrives in. This day was no different than any other --
the mail man approached and my daughter took her running leap out the door
to greet him. She ran back and naturally hands me the bills and junk mail
while she gladly opens the fun package (isn't that sweet). Then the jumping
and joy begins. I am thinking that we've won some large sum of money or a
brick of gold or something of incredible value … that's what I get for
thinking. She hands me the CD and immediately says, "Its tobymac, I know
I'll love this CD!!" That my friends is name recognition. She had not as
much heard the annoyingly infectious single "Gone" and already was
confessing her undying love for this piece of plastic. Bless her heart.

tobymac has finally released his follow up to the very successful selling
Momentum. After originally planning to title his sophomore release
Phenomenon and have it in stores last year, toby instead hit the road in
full force and allowed himself more time to let the creative juices flow.
When they stopped flowing, Diverse City was born, recorded, mastered,
pressed and then distributed. The cover art which includes the traditional
reggae colors of green, yellow and red pay homage to his wife's Jamaican
heritage while also acting as a symbol of diverseness.

The lyrics on this record are very elementary and almost laughable. Here for
your consideration are three examples (Note: There are more…however, space
is quite valuable in this review):

"Slackin' off like a bum, I'm feelin' ho hum
I'm feelin' luke warm like the water in my tub
Started out and we was hot, looked up and now we're not
We had that fire like we was boilin' in a pot"

"You got your pipeline clogged man get that puppy routed
You got the style down and since you don't know about it"

"Much obliged got the head of a moose
So mount me on the wall of your livin' room"

Other times they barely make sense. Look at this rambling:

"You got that right, I'm'a rock the Morse code tonight
Transmit 'n throwin' fits 'n paparazzi like zits
Get flipped out and squeezed fresh like juicy sun kissed
And if I miss with my missiles you're still gonna sizzle
'Cause I frizzle fry radiation style worldwide"

Perhaps the creative juices could have flowed a bit longer on the lyrical
tip? There are more creative things being written in your local 2nd grade
creative writing class than on this record. It is honestly that
embarrassing.

The music is your average, recycled Top 40 Pop sounds. "Hey Now" is able to
give the record that Nelly – Country Grammar feel. This sound is easily
achieved thanks to the mediocre raps of Coffee and Bonafide (GRITS).
"Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)" and "The Slam" exceed the rapcore quota for the
record. "The Slam" also has the distinct pleasure of serving as tobymac's
worst musical collabartion to date. Not only do we get to hear the
overplayed rap/rock sound, we are also subjected to the rapping of T-Bone,
aka Boney Bone Carlone, aka Boney Sparano, aka whatever other gangsta name
he can think of. If you thought the lyrics were horrible before, you are in
for a treat! For the sake of your precious time I will only include a few
lines:

"The father slammed it like Shaq
For Latinos and Blacks
Packin' them straps
And Caucasians hooked on Ecstasy and the crack…
…We slam dunkin' and keep it jumpin' like jumper cables
And keep the crowd rowdy like Jesus tossin' them temple tables"

The aforementioned "Gone" serves as the summery happy song that you catch
yourself humming while clipping your toenails. "Getaway Car," "Atmosphere
remix ft. dc talk" and "Stories (Down To The Bottom) ft. Superchic[k]," add
nothing to the already dying album and would have never been missed.
"Phenomenon" is another rocky rap song saved only by the genius that is Paul
Meany. The only enjoyable song is the title track "Diverse City." This truly
fun throwback to the funk era of Parliament and War; can seriously get your
caboose grooving and shaking. It is also the only song with meaningful
lyrics;

"Said we're Diverse City, we're colorful goods
It's just a state of mind, we gonna shine the way that we should, baby
So, if you wanna praise you can come on down
Cause this freak show's leaving the ground"

This record is only worth the price if you collect dc talk memorabilia.
Otherwise I would seriously avoid this CD. Save your money and go see
"Napoleon Dynamite"-- at least that way you know that you're supposed to
laugh.

Find out more about TobyMac through our interview at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/features/dctalksoloupdate/tobymac.shtml

Read our initial reaction to TobyMac's album:
http://cMusicWeb.com/features/openlettertotobymac


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Review: Shades of Grey - Braille
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/braille/shadesofgrey.shtml

Interview: TobyMac
http://cMusicWeb.com/features/dctalksoloupdate/tobymac.shtml

Review: Hymns Ancient and Modern - Passion
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/passion/hymnsancientandmodern.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

PURCHASE THIS MUSIC AND MORE AT GRASSROOTSMUSIC.COM:
http://www.grassrootsmusic.com/?associateid=249

CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE - ERIN O'DONNELL
What do you do when you are having a hard time making a comeback in
Christian music? Of course, you follow Amy Grant's lead and release a
Christmas album! Erin O'Donnell releases an upbeat, keyboard-driven album
full of Christmas favorites, Christian and secular.

GOTEE 10 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
It's been ten years since TobyMac and Joey Elwood started a label to
showcase talent such as Out of Eden and GRITS. Since then the label has
signed many, many artists - some great and some not. This disc features one
track from each artist, including the lesser-known Gotee Brothers, Johnny Q.
Public, and Temple Yard.

HEAR US SAY JESUS - SEVEN PLACES
Seven Places has made an early name for themselves by fusing rock 'n' roll
with worship just like everybody else. However, after seeing them live, I
understand how they differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack -
they have rock star stage presence. Hopefully, though, their music will have
matured this time around.

VEGGIETALES HOLIDAY DOUBLE FEATURE DVD
There have been two Christmas releases from VeggieTales over the years, so
why don't you have them? I dunno, but if you have kids, they will want this
double feature of Christmas cheer.

WELCOME TO DIVERSE CITY - TOBYMAC
See review above.

WOW HITS 2005 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
If you don't have Christian radio and want to hear the junk everyone's been
listening to, then get this two-disc set. Otherwise, pick a favorite artist
from the disc (such as Jars of Clay or Third Day) and check out their latest
CD instead.

What, you think we need a PICK OF THE WEEK? OK, then, here's my pick:

ALADDIN SPECIAL EDITION DVD
My favorite animated Disney release of all time is finally on DVD! From the
grand heydey of Disney animated features comes the hilarious performance of
Robin Williams as the Genie. This adventurous and silly retelling of the
children's story is a fun family film.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@.... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
AOL IM - dMusicWeb