Christian rapper TobyMac opened up about the sudden death of his 21-year-old son Truett Foster McKeehan in a heartfelt statement shared with The Tennessean on Thursday.

McKeehan, an aspiring musician and TobyMac's oldest son, died Wednesday in Nashville. McKeehan's cause and manner of death remain under investigation, the Metro Nashville Police Department said.

The emotional post outlines TobyMac's last moments with his son — at the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee, where Truett McKeenan was performing his first show — and his relationship with God.

© Submitted Truett Foster McKeehan performing at The Factory in Franklin, Tenn., October 17, 2019.

In the statement, TobyMac describes his son as "a magnetic son and brother and friend. If you met him you knew him, you remembered him. His smile, his laugh, the encouragement he offered with words or even without."

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"He didn’t want to be a child star, he wanted to be a man with scars and a story to tell," TobyMac wrote. "I always admired, respected and encouraged that stand."

Read the full statement below.



Truett Foster Mckeehan had joy that took the room when he entered. He was a magnetic son and brother and friend. If you met him you knew him, you remembered him. His smile, his laugh, the encouragement he offered with words or even without. He had an untamable grand personality and dreams to match. And he hated being put in a box. He expressed himself through the music he made. And by made I mean, written, recorded, produced, mixed, and designed the art. All of it. A true artist. His first show was a week ago, and it was nothing short of electric. Everyone felt it, everyone knew it. He could’ve easily taken the easy route and put music out when he was 12, 14, 16, even 18, but he always said he wanted to live some life and have something to say before he did it. He didn’t want to be a child star, he wanted to be a man with scars and a story to tell. I always admired, respected and encouraged that stand. Truett always had a soft spot for God. The Bible moved him. His heart was warm to the things of his King. He was by no means a cookie cutter Christian but give me a believer who fights to keep believing. Give me a broken man who recognizes his need for a Savior every time. That’s who Truett was and how he should be remembered. My last moment with Truett in person was at his first show this past Thursday at the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee. I had to leave the next morning very early to fly and start our Canadian tour. 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. It couldn’t have been sweeter. Our music, and what we say lyrically couldn’t be more different, but the outcome was much the same… offering a room full of people a few minutes of joy in a crazy world. Our last text exchange…

© TobyMac/Special to the Tennessean A text exchange between TobyMac and his son, Truett Foster McKeehan. A 21-year-old aspiring rapper, McKeehan died Wednesday in Nashville.

My wife and I would want the world to know this... We don’t follow God because we have some sort of under the table deal with Him, like we’ll follow you if you bless us. We follow God because we love Him. It’s our honor. He is the God of the hills and the valleys. And He is beautiful above all things.

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