Is this a simple, innocent coincidence…or a music artist teetering on the edge of controversy? And we’re not talking about just any musician…it’s Christian recording artist and rapper, tobyMac, who has been active in the industry since the late 1980s. Selling more than 10 million albums between the work done with his group and a prosperous solo career (and receiving a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2013), tobyMac has made quite a name for himself. However, when he released his fifth studio album, titled ‘Eye on It,’ there was some interesting symbolism attached to it.
With a title like ‘Eye on It,’ it is no wonder that the musician chose to incorporate single eye symbolism into the artwork, but this choice of representation still rose a few eyebrows. As you can see, the artwork consists of one eye with a simple, bright green background.
The use of this symbolism has also led some scrutinize the meaning behind the title song of the album, as well as his lyrics which include the following statements: “I got a new passenger to help me navigate the way/ So when my heart hits the floor I can recalibrate/ I feel the deeper callin’ me, all else is fadin’ in the past/ So let me run in the race that I know is built to last.”
There are some who have pondered just who tobyMac is referring to when he speaks of a ‘new’ passenger, and what sort of religious significance that these words hold.
As for the music video for ‘Eye on It,’ the single eye symbolism also makes an appearance. When the music initially begins, we encounter a glowing single eye that twirls and spins in a slightly hypnotic manner. Throughout the music video, T-shirts featuring a single eye are also worn by people, including the music artist himself.
This isn’t the first time that tobyMac and this typical Illuminati symbolism have been paired together. The singer/rapper also has an interesting connection to single eye symbolism with his former group dcTalk, an award-winning Christian music group who have four Grammy awards under their belt. The logo of dcTalk resembles a single eye with a cross in the center. Interestingly, the symbol featured on the special edition cover art shown looks as if rays are illuminating from the ‘eye’.
With a lot of upcoming U.S, tour dates for 2014 in May and August, tobyMac could be coming to a festival near you this year, and will most likely perform some of the songs from this popular ‘Eye’ album. The full-length studio album, Eye on It, has been well-received by the public. It debuted on the Billboard 200 in the number one position, which marked the first time since 1997 that a Christian album has done so. In the first week of its release, the album sold 69,000 copies.
Songs from the album have also been used in a range of promotional materials for TV shows, commercials, and other ads. The song, ‘Family’ was used to advertise the TV show Blue Bloods – and even got airtime during the 2013 Super Bowl. Sports-related telecasts associated with the likes of Fox Sports Networks used ‘Eye on It’ in commercials for the NBA and MLB leagues.
