Tobymac - Welcome to Diverse City (CD)

All Music Guide

Toby McKeehan (a.k.a. tobyMac) is a founding member of the celebrated Christian hiphop/RB group dc talk, but has been slowly building a significant solo career for himself as well. His 2001 debut album was well received, and his sophomore effort is an impressive meltingpot of hiphop, dancehall reggae and guitar rock. Like most such albums, it could stand to be trimmed by fifteen or twenty minutes (the cutesy little kid cameo is overlong and unnecessary, for example), but at its core Welcome to Diverse City is well written, beautifully sung and nicely produced, with a satisfying variety of styles and textures. "The Slam" is a sort of funky numetal (but that's meant in a good way); "Hey Now" is a swooningly hooky rockRB hybrid; "Fresher Than a Night at the W" is straightup oldschool hiphop. Best of all is the PFunkified title track, which features a cameo by none other than Bootsy Collins himself. "Getaway Car" and "Phenomenon" should probably have been relegated to Bside status on a CD ...single, but they're not bad, just not up to the high standard set by almost every other song on this very fine album. - Rick Anderson, All Music Guide Read more Less