The ascension of TobyMac’s solo career has been nothing short of spectacular. In an era of declining music sales he has consistently defied the odds and has seen his sales increase with each new album release. This is no small feat. With his fourth studio album TONIGHT released on Feb. 9, he is poised to take things higher yet again.
Having climbed the mountain once with the group dcTalk (4 Grammys, more than 8 million albums sold), TobyMac knows how difficult the journey can be and how much work the process actually takes. Rarely does an artist get to soar to great heights for a second time, but soar he has. He took home his first Grammy as a solo artist last year after receiving Grammy nominations for each of his first four solo projects (Momentum, Welcome To Diverse City, Portable Sounds, Tonight). And last year TobyMac topped 2 million in total albums sold during his solo career. TobyMac has also remixed the Welcome to Diverse City album and Momentum, calling the new albums Renovating Diverse City and Re:Mix Momentum, respectively. He has done it with a combination of talent, hard work and humility which has produced songs that resonate with people from all walks of life .
Upon embarking on his solo career, Toby sought to surround himself with a talented and diverse cast of characters, aptly named the Diverse City Band. The result has been a musical fusion that radiates with an unquenchable energy and a penetrating message.
A self-professed perfectionist when making records—he’s been known to relentlessly tweak and massage every little thing in an inexorable effort to make it sound better—Toby is the first to admit that he has to work really hard to make great music. “That’s what drives me,” he says. “I feel like I have to work harder than other people to get there. Sometimes I feel like I’m slightly under-gifted; I usually don't sit down and write a great song in just a few minutes like others can. But I think my work ethic makes up for that.”
Starting with dcTalk, and then going solo when the group disbanded in 2000, Toby still clings to such rootsy notions as hard work, persistence, patience and—perhaps most relevant of all—the power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
“It’s the truth,” he says. “I still believe that a song can penetrate a heart. I believe God can use a song to open someone’s mind and heart. Other songs can just drop what I call, 'the joy bomb' on somebody. I fight really hard to remain unjaundiced—to keep believing that you can actually walk into a studio and write a song that breathes life. That’s the hardest fight for a guy who’s been doing this for a while; it’s easy to fall into the trap of just making it your job. But I still believe that songs matter.”
The songs on TONIGHT certainly matter—everything from the prayerful first single “City On Our Knees” to the testimonial “Changed Forever,” from the worshipful “Captured” to the confessional “Start Somewhere,” and even down to the put-on-your-party-hat grooves of “Funky Jesus Music” and “ShowStopper.” One theme that runs loud and clear throughout is the idea that we all need God, and we need him now—this morning, this afternoon, tonight.
“Right here, right now / Under the stars / I promise You my heart / ’Cause it starts tonight,” Toby sings on the chorus of the title track. “If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?” he asks on “City on Our Knees.” And “I wanna straighten this before the sun goes down tonight,” he proclaims on “Start Somewhere.”
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency on this record,” says co-producer Chris Stephens, who has worked on TobyMac’s last three CDs. “And it’s an album that speaks of unity, of coming together and finding common ground to worship God.”
Toby has long had a passion for racial reconciliation and unity, a recurrent theme in his music. TONIGHT includes songs of reconciliation of another kind—between husband and wife. Toby and Amanda have been happily married for 15 years, but like all couples, it can be hard work sometimes. For Toby, who best expresses his emotions through music, it was a natural step to write about it. In “Hold On,” he sings, “If you move just a little bit closer / You can put your head on my shoulder . . . / Wipe away those tears / This one’s for you.” And on “Start Somewhere,” he’s downright confessional: “I said some things that I regret / And if I could, I’d take ’em back / But here I am, and there you are / The space between us is not so far / I’m reaching out my hand in love.”
“‘Hold On’ is very personal,” Toby says. “Many lines are there to encourage my wife, but I know those lines could encourage anybody in a relationship. As for ‘Start Somewhere,’ any time you’re in love with somebody, you’re going to bang heads from time to time. I don’t know how many times I’ve been lying in bed, sweating it out and thinking, How am I going to make this right? But then you reach that moment of apology and forgiveness. That’s one of my favorite songs on the record; it’s a personal perspective on confrontation and reconciliation.”
And then there’s “Wonderin’,” in which Toby reminisces about the past with Kevin Max and Michael Tait in dcTalk, one of Christian music’s biggest acts in the 1990s. “We was ridin’ in style, clockin’ them miles / With the songs that He put down deep in our hearts . . . / I’m wonderin’ ’bout the way I spend my days / Wonderin’ if it’s even worth the chase / Wonderin’ if they’re stealin’ me from you.”
“It’s just a warm look back at dc Talk,” says Toby, almost wistfully. “It’s reminiscing about Michael and Kevin and what we did together, and recognizing their influence on me. I love what I do today, but there are times when I wonder,What if we stayed together? I’ve got these dreams I’m pursuing now, but are they stealing me from you? I think about Kevin and Michael on every song I write. That's the truth man, we climbed a mountain together.”
Sonically, TONIGHT is typical TobyMac in many ways—an eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs. There’s even a healthy dose of reggae on the album closer “Break Open the Sky,” where Toby flexes his Jamaican family ties while Israel Houghton provides guest vocals. Other visiting vocalists include Skillet’s John Cooper on “Tonight” and Relient K’s Matthew Thiessen on “Wonderin’.”
Of course most of the vocals belong to the artist himself. Stephens says Toby “has stretched himself as a vocalist, he writes about things he is passionate about and his vocals reflect that urgency''. Toby agrees: “I do more singing on this record than ever before. I’m learning to use my vocal instrument in different ways, and I’m getting more comfortable with it everyday''.
It all adds up to a project that reflects one man’s desire to push himself beyond “very good,” to dig deep in the quest for that other country where greatness resides. He certainly reached for it. Hard.
“I’ve worked very hard not to fall into the trap of making this just a gig,” he says. “If it is a labor, it’s a labor of love. I know music can’t change the world, but who says God can't speak through a song."
Right here, right now. TONIGHT.
TobyMac is usually styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC
The Slam
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So rip the knob off the volume when you give this a shot
And raise your hands as the slam starts to thicken the plot
Openin' eyes to the lies of the enemies' lot
So run like the wind from the sin of your past
Keep your eyes on the prize when they put you on blast
It's the Christ on the cross, it's humanity's shot
It's a worldwide call to everything that we're not
This is the slam, this is the one
This is the slam, this is the one
We gonna do it like it ain't been done before
This is the slam, this is the one
We gonna bring it like it ain't been brung
This is the slam, this is the one
We gonna spring you like you ain't been sprung
They came from the cities and towns all around
To see the long haired preacher from the desert get down
Waist high in the water, never short on words, he said
Repent, the kingdom of heaven can be yours
But he stopped in the middle of his words and dropped
Down to his knees and said, behold the Lamb of God
He's the one, the slam, don't you people understand?
You're staring at the son, God's reaching out his hand
This is the slam, this is the one
This is the slam, this is the one
This is the slam, this is the one
We gonna do it like it ain't been done before
This is the slam, this is the one
We gonna bring it like it ain't been brung
This is the slam, this is the one
We gonna spring you like you ain't been sprung
The father slammed it like Shaq
For Latinos and Blacks
Packin' them straps
And Caucasians hooked on Ecstasy and the crack
Stacked the sins of this world to his body
And conquered evil and hell
Then snatched the keys of death in one breath and unlocked the cell
He rose on the third
I'm tellin' you partner, it's actual fact
Just like Tobymac and Boney Soprano up on this track
We slam dunkin' and keep it jumpin' like jumper cables
And keep the crowd rowdy like Jesus tossin' them temple tables
In TobyMac's "The Slam", he expresses the truth of God and His power in a powerful and energizing way. The song describes how God is in control, whether or not people believe it or like it. The author encourages the listener to turn up the volume and join in raising their hands as they begin to experience the power of God. The lyrics speak of opening people's eyes to the lies of the enemy, and running from the sins of the past. The focus then turns to the message of the gospel, stating that Christ's sacrifice has given humanity a chance to be saved. The song also talks about sharing this message to the world, using the phrase "This is the slam, this is the one" to emphasize the importance of spreading the word.
Throughout the song, the author uses powerful metaphors to describe the message of God. The image of a slam is used to represent the power of God's word, and the energy that comes from experiencing it. He also references a long-haired preacher from the desert, likely referring to John the Baptist. The lyrics express that people came from far and wide to hear this message, and how it had the power to change lives. The song ends with a powerful reference to Jesus Christ, comparing His triumph over evil to a slam dunk.
Line by Line Meaning
God's in the Spot, you can like it or not
Regardless of your beliefs or opinions, God is present and powerful
So rip the knob off the volume when you give this a shot
Listen to this music loudly and with full attention
And raise your hands as the slam starts to thicken the plot
Get excited and engaged as the song becomes more intense
Openin' eyes to the lies of the enemies' lot
Revealing the falsehoods spread by those who oppose God's message
So run like the wind from the sin of your past
Move quickly, leaving your old mistakes and wrongdoing behind
Keep your eyes on the prize when they put you on blast
Focus on your goals and what truly matters, even when others criticize you
It's the Christ on the cross, it's humanity's shot
Jesus dying on the cross was mankind's chance at salvation
It's a worldwide call to everything that we're not
The song is a call to action for listeners to live up to their potential
This is the slam, this is the one
The song is meant to be a powerful, defining moment
We gonna do it like it ain't been done before
The song is unique and original, breaking new ground
We gonna bring it like it ain't been brung
The song will be delivered with maximum energy and impact
We gonna spring you like you ain't been sprung
Listeners will be energized and motivated like never before
They came from the cities and towns all around
People from many different places gathered together
To see the long haired preacher from the desert get down
The crowd was there to watch and listen to a charismatic religious leader
Waist high in the water, never short on words, he said
The preacher was confident and vocal while standing in the water
Repent, the kingdom of heaven can be yours
The preacher was urging listeners to change their ways and accept God's grace
But he stopped in the middle of his words and dropped
The preacher paused suddenly
Down to his knees and said, behold the Lamb of God
The preacher recognized the true savior of humanity
He's the one, the slam, don't you people understand?
Jesus is the one true leader and his message is powerful
You're staring at the son, God's reaching out his hand
Look to Jesus for guidance and redemption
The father slammed it like Shaq
God's power is like Shaquille O'Neal's strength on the basketball court
For Latinos and Blacks
God's love extends to all ethnic groups
Packin' them straps
Carrying the weight of the sins of humanity
And Caucasians hooked on Ecstasy and the crack
All people have their struggles and challenges
Stacked the sins of this world to his body
Jesus carried the burden of all human sins through his suffering and death
And conquered evil and hell
Jesus defeated Satan and hell by rising from the dead
Then snatched the keys of death in one breath and unlocked the cell
Jesus overcame death itself and unlocked the gates of heaven for believers
He rose on the third
Jesus was resurrected on the third day after his death
I'm tellin' you partner, it's actual fact
This is not just a story, it is a true account
Just like Tobymac and Boney Soprano up on this track
The artists are spreading truth with their music, just like the disciples spread Jesus' message
We slam dunkin' and keep it jumpin' like jumper cables
The song is full of energy and propels listeners forward
And keep the crowd rowdy like Jesus tossin' them temple tables
The crowd is inspired to action, like when Jesus overturned tables in the temple
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: CHRISTOPHER E. STEVENS, TOBY MCKEEHAN, T-BONE, JOE WEBER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind