The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith.

They released five major studio albums together: dc Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998).

Since that time, DC Talk has been on an indefinite hiatus, and the three band members all have led solo careers and two have joined other groups.

[2][5] Shortly after the signing of the recording contract the trio moved to Nashville, Tennessee,[5] and called themselves "DC Talk and the One Way Crew".

[4] After signing the recording contract with ForeFront, the trio released their self-titled debut album, DC Talk, in 1989 with Mike Valliere and Vic Mignogna.

[7] Their follow-up full-length release, Nu Thang, and a Christmas three-song EP titled Yo!

[7] The hip hop/pop styling of the album earned the band attention, expanding the group's audience, and by 1991, Nu Thang had sold 200,000 copies.

[4] In addition to the increasing attention that the group began to receive, DC Talk appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show that same year.

[4] "Nu Thang" was eventually certified gold, selling over 500,000 copies, an impressive feat for a Christian artist at that time.

[11] The album included a cover version of the Bill Withers song "Lean on Me" and a remake of "Jesus Is Just Alright", originally recorded by the Art Reynolds Singers.

[1][8] The success of the album is attributed to the group moving away from a strictly rap sound to a blend of hip hop and pop.

The documentary was planned to be released as a theatrical film, Free at Last: The Movie, and was heavily promoted on Lightmusic TV, a Christian music video show.

Jesus Freak marked a milestone in the group's commercial career, as they signed a deal with Virgin Records in 1996 to distribute their music to the mainstream market.

[9] Supernatural abandoned the hip hop/rap style found on the group's earlier releases to settle for the pop/rock sound.

[9] The singles for the album received their fair share of radio play on modern rock, contemporary Christian, and alternative outlets.

[1] In addition to touring and recording Supernatural, the members of the group went on to co-author a book titled Jesus Freaks in collaboration with The Voice of the Martyrs in 1999.

The book contains the shortened biographies and incidents in the lives of famous and lesser-known Christians who stood up for their faith.

[20] A compilation album titled Intermission: The Greatest Hits was then released, containing many of their previously recorded songs either remixed or in their original formats.

[1][15] During their hiatus, DC Talk has continued to sporadically release singles together, including "Let's Roll" (2002), which was about the September 11 attacks.

[29][30] In 2010, the trio performed with Aaron Shust, Brandon Heath, Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, and some other artists to serve as the backing choir for "Come Together Now", a song about the 2010 Haiti earthquakes.

[31] Later in the year, Kevin Max admitted that he would love to make more DC Talk music, but he thinks "that time has passed us by...".

[33] On October 11, 2016, the trio came together to perform "Love Feels Like" at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee for the 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards.

[36] In January 2014, Tait indicated that he liked the sound of a "20-years-later" tour in 2015,[37] but tobyMac commented that "nothing concrete is in the works" due to conflicting schedules.