Welcome to Diverse City

Studio album by

Released

October 5, 2004

Recorded

2004

Genre

Christian rock, Christian hip hop, funk

Length

54:55

Label

ForeFront

Producer

Toby McKeehan, Tedd T, Max Hsu, Robert Marvin

TobyMac chronology

Re:Mix Momentum
(2003)

Welcome to Diverse City
(2004)

Renovating Diverse City
(2005)

Singles from Welcome to Disverse City

"Gone"
Released: August 20, 2004
"Atmosphere"
Released: 2005
"Burn for You"
Released: 2005
"Diverse City"
Released: 2006

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Christianity Today	^[2]
Cross Rhythms	^[3]
Jesus Freak Hideout	^[4]

Welcome to Diverse City is the second full-length studio album released by Christian singer TobyMac. The songs on this album deal with racial tolerance in society and a desire to know God better. Several other Christian artists appear on this CD, including Bootsy Collins ("Diverse City"), Coffee from GRITS ("Hey Now"), DJ Maj (Several songs), Papa San ("Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)"), Paul Wright ("Street Interlude"), Superchick ("Stories (Down to the Bottom)"), and T-Bone ("The Slam"). TobyMac also reunites dc Talk on vocals in a remix of his song "Atmosphere", the last track of the album. The album has sold over 600,000 copies in the United States.^{[not verified in body]}

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Hey Now" (featuring Coffee from GRITS)	Toby McKeehan, Cary Barlowe, Jamie Moore, Stacy Jones	Toby McKeehan	3:45
2.	"Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)" (featuring Papa San & MOC)	McKeehan, Solomon Olds, Joe Baldridge	McKeehan, Solomon Olds, Joe Baldridge	3:24
3.	"The Slam" (featuring T-Bone)	McKeehan, Christopher Stevens, Joe Weber, Rene Sotomayor	McKeehan, Christopher Stevens	3:20
4.	"Poetically Correct" (Interlude performed by MOC)			0:56
5.	"Atmosphere"	McKeehan, George Crawford, Jeff Savage	McKeehan	4:07
6.	"Gone"	McKeehan, Stevens	McKeehan, Stevens	3:27
7.	"TruDog: The Return" (performed by Truett McKeehan)	McKeehan		2:22
8.	"Diverse City" (featuring Bootsy Collins)	McKeehan, Stevens	McKeehan, Stevens	3:56
9.	"Stories (Down to the Bottom)" (featuring Superchick)	McKeehan, Matt Dally, Patricia Brock, David Ghazarian, Max Hsu, Mellisa Brock, Brandon Estelle	McKeehan, Max Hsu	4:40
10.	"Getaway Car"	McKeehan, Moore, Michael Linney, Barlowe	McKeehan, Michael Linney	4:27
11.	"Burn for You"	McKeehan, Robert Marvin, Josiah Bell	McKeehan, Robert Marvin, Josiah Bell	3:49
12.	"Fresher Than a Night at the W" (Interlude)	McKeehan		0:48
13.	"Ill-M-I" (Soul-Junk cover)	McKeehan, Glenn Galaxy, Stevens	McKeehan, Stevens	3:29
14.	"Phenomenon"	McKeehan, Paul Meany	McKeehan, Math	5:19
15.	"Gotta Go" (featuring Randy Crawford & TruDog)	McKeehan, Savage, Randy Crawford	McKeehan	2:48
16.	"Atmosphere (Remix)" (featuring dc Talk)	McKeehan, G. Crawford, Savage		4:37
Total length:				54:55

History

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In addition to being one of two tobyMac albums that didn't crack the top 20 on the Billboard 200 (along with Momentum), Welcome to Diverse City is his longest album by duration and second longest by track listing (beaten only by Momentum).

Personnel

TobyMac – vocals, synthesizer
Coffee – vocals on "Hey Now"
Papa San – vocals on "Catachafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)"
M.O.C. – vocals on "Catachafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)"
T-Bone – vocals on "The Slam"
Max Hsu – keys and synthesizer on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Dave Ghazarian – guitar and bass on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Matt Dally – vocals and guitar on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Brian Gocher – synthesizer on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Tricia Brock – vocals on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Melissa Brock – vocals on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Brandon Estelle – vocals on "Stories (Down to the Bottom)"
Randy Crawford, TruDog – vocals on "Gotta Go"
DC Talk – vocals on "Atmosphere (Remix)"
Jaime Moore – synthesizer, bass
Mike Haynes – horns
Mark Douthit – horns
Barry Green – horns
Cary Barlowe – guitar
DJ Form – DJ
Gabe Patillo – beat box
Christopher Stevens – synthesizer, drums, engineering, bass, additional vocals
Solomon Olds – beats, synthesizer, electric guitar, bass, keys, Sitar, additional vocals
Joe Baldridge – beats, synthesizer, guitar
DJ Maj – DJ
Joe Weber – guitar
Mark Townsend – guitar
Tim Donahue – drums
Brent Milligan – bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Jeff Savage – synthesizer, additional vocals
Andy Selby – synthesizer
Dave Clo – guitar
Michael Linney – synthesizer
Robert Marvin – synthesizer
Josiah Bell – synthesizer
Lynn Nichols – guitar
Brian Haley – drums
Dave Rumsey – guitar
Paul Meany – bass, Rhodes piano
Darren King – drums
Tedd T – synthesizer
Damon Riley – synthesizer
Michael Ripoli – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Kyle Whalum – bass
Nirva Dorsaint – additional vocals
Jason Eskridge – additional vocals
Joanna Valencia – additional vocals
Tyler Burkum – additional vocals
Paul Wright – vocals on "West Coast Kid"
Byron "Mr. Talkbox" Chambers – talkbox on "Diverse City"

Guest appearances

Coffee from GRITS
Truett McKeehan AKA Tru-Dog (or truDog)
dc Talk (Michael Tait from TAIT and Kevin Max)
M.O.C.
Papa San
Superchic[k]
Bootsy Collins

Music videos

Year	Title	Watch
2005	Gone	Youtube

Charts

Chart (2004)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[5]	54
US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)^[6]	25
US Christian Albums (Billboard)^[7]	3

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[8]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

On 2005, the album won a Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year at the 36th GMA Dove Awards.^[9]

Uses in media

Songs from Welcome to Diverse City, particularly "The Slam", featured many mainstream appearances.

"The Slam" is the lead track for the opening episode of Prison Break Season One.
"The Slam" was also used in the movies Into the Blue, Crank, and Never Back Down.
"The Slam" was also used by wrestler Matt Cappotelli as an entrance theme while in OVW, a WWE developmental territory.
"Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)" appeared in the 2005 Usher film In the Mix.
"Gone" appeared on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of The Bible Game, released in 2005.
"Diverse City" appears on the Xbox dance game Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4, released in 2006.
"Diverse City" also appears on the show Veronica Mars in the episode "The Wrath of Con". The song can be heard in the background at the college party that Veronica and Wallace go to.

Additionally, songs from Welcome to Diverse City were published on four consecutive WOW Hits albums.

"Phenomenon" appeared on WOW Hits 2004.
"Gone" appeared on WOW Hits 2005.
"Atmosphere (Remix)", featuring dc Talk, appeared on WOW Hits 2006.
A "Shortwave Radio Mix" of "Burn for You" (from Renovating Diverse City) appeared on WOW Hits 2007.

References

^ AllMusic review
^ Christianity Today review
^ Cross Rhythms review
^ Jesus Freak Hideout review
^ "tobyMac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
^ "tobyMac Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
^ "tobyMac Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
^ "American album certifications – TobyMac – Welcome To Diverse City". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
^ 2005 Dove Awards – 36th Annual Dove Awards on About.com; Jones, Kim

v t e TobyMac
Studio albums	Momentum (2001) Welcome to Diverse City (2004) Portable Sounds (2007) Tonight (2010) Eye on It (2012) This Is Not a Test (2015) The Elements (2018) Life After Death (2022)
Remix albums	Re:Mix Momentum (2003) Renovating Diverse City (2005) Dubbed and Freq'd: A Remix Project (2012) Eye'm All Mixed Up (2014)
Live albums	Alive and Transported (2008)
Christmas albums	Christmas in Diverse City (2011)
Singles	"This Christmas" "Gone" "Made to Love" "I'm for You" "Lose My Soul" "City on Our Knees" "Showstopper" "Get Back Up" "Christmas This Year" "Me Without You" "Love Broke Thru" "I Just Need U" "Everything" "Help Is on the Way (Maybe Midnight)" "Promised Land"
Related articles	TobyMac discography DC Talk