“I gotta something for you man…” were the words whispered by TobyMac before Jesus Freak by DC Talk exploded onto speakers everywhere in 1995. Christian rap’s biggest hip-hop act at the time would turn heads and drop jaws as they would forgo their pop-infused, sample-heavy hip-hop sounds with crunching, bellowing vocals, and heavy drums. Perhaps taking their cue from Nirvana, Jesus Freak would take this trio to the heights of Christian music fame and out into the mainstream world with their overtly Christ-centric and explicitly Jesus focused music. That is why until this day, it’s a marvel.
While some raps made their way onto the record, DC Talk was a changed animal. What would come next were sold-out arena tours, more performances on late-night TV, MTV music videos, Grammy Awards, and Dove Awards. The success here would catapult them into one more album and then solo careers that are still going strong 25 years later.
TobyMac, already a force, is even more well-known as a solo artist with top-selling Christian albums from Momentum to Elements. Michael Tait would drop two solo albums before becoming the frontman of perhaps the second biggest Christian band of all-time, the Newsboys. Kevin Max continues to be an indie darling and legend of experimentation with countless albums and even a stint as singer of Audio Adrenaline, another huge stalwart from the 90s.
So take a trip back and behold the sounds of the anthemic “Jesus Freak,” the moving “In the Light,” and the incredibly relevant “Colored People.”
***The album turns 25 on November 21st. Yesterday, it was announced that a box anniversary set is now available for the occasion***
