It was a whirlwind week for Grammy-winning Christian rapper TobyMac. He saw his oldest son, 21-year-old Truett Foster McKeehan, perform live in Franklin, Tennessee, on Oct. 17, 2019, which was “nothing short of electric,” as the father told The Tennessean.
That was the last time TobyMac would ever see his son. The next day, he left for Canada for his own show and heard the tragic news that his son had passed away from cardiac arrest on Oct. 23, 2019. Cutting his tour short to fly back home, this grieving father struggled to reconcile his oldest son’s death with his faith.
After an outpouring of support from the music world and his fans, the artist spent several months grieving before releasing a tribute song called “21 Years” in honor of his son’s life, cut tragically short. “Writing this song felt like an honest confession of the questions, pain, anger, doubt, mercy and promise that describes the journey I’m only beginning,” TobyMac explained on Twitter. “The rest is yet to come.”
He wrote a caption on Instagram: “I loved him with all my heart. Until something in life hits you this hard, you never know how you will handle it.”
The rapper was proud to see his son start out on his own musical career but naturally was also worried as any parent would be about seeing their children go out into the world.
To deal with the anxiety of “sending ships out of harbor,” as the rapper described it, he wrote the song “Scars“ for his firstborn son in 2018. Some of the lyrics:
When life cuts so deep Try and remember You are not alone We’ve all been there Scars come with livin' You are not aloneReflecting on the changing relationship between him and his son, TobyMac also encouraged Truett to seek support in his faith.
Then came the tragic news in October 2019 along with the knowledge that he would never be with his son again in this life. After Truett’s shocking death, TobyMac took to Instagram to share some of their last messages after his son’s first big concert. He wrote:
“As I stood in the audience and watched my son bring joy to a room, I was as proud as a “pop” (as tru called me) could be. It was the culminating moment of a dream that he had since he was 12.”Truett’s final text to his dad came following his first show in Franklin, Tennessee. It read:
“love you dad. thank you so much. you have always believed in me. make me feel like a superhero.”
After a funeral that brought friends and family and many luminaries in the Christian music world, “21 Years” is the next step on TobyMac’s way to coming to grips with his son’s death. Here are some lyrics from the new song:
Why you would You give then take him away Suddenly end, could You not let it fade? What I would give for a couple of days A couple of daysAnother verse reaffirms his faith that they will meet again in heaven:
Well, until this show is over And you run into my arms God has you in Heaven But I have you in my heartUltimately, the song affirms the rapper’s understanding that Truett’s death is part of a bigger plan.
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