Tony Touch
Encyclopedia
Tony Touch is an American
hip hop
break dancer, rapper, DJ
, producer and actor
of Puerto Rican
descent.
Tony Touch began as a B-boy during the rap music renaissance era of the early 1980s. Heavily influenced by pioneers like Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew
, Grandmaster Flash
, Red Alert, Little Louie Vega and Jam Master Jay, he quickly shifted his interests towards the turntables. Toca is known for legendary mixtapes like the 50 Mcs parts 1, 2 and 3. Included in this series are some of the hottest artist in the game such as KRS One, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane
, Wyclef, M.O.P, Big L
, Mos Def
and many more all coming together for one collective piece. This along with the countless other mixtapes, Tony became recognized in the streets and by the industry as the real ‘Mixpate King.’
Tony Toca evolved his mixtapes to record releases. In 2000, Tony released “The Piece Maker” on Tommy Boy Records. This album sold 400,000 units worldwide and featured legendary artists like Big Pun, Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes
, Eminem
. Gang Starr
and much more. The single “I Wonder Why” featuring Total was a hit and the video featured cameos from John Leguizamo, Rock Steady Crew
, Grand Master Flash,The Awesome 2, Marley Marl, Dj Premier and more. Since then Tony Toca released “The Piece Maker 2”which also had an all-star line up with features such as P. Diddy, Fat Joe, Sean Paul, Snoop Dogg and legendary Ruben Blades. Toca is also known to represent the urban Latino community to the fullest with his Spanglish lyrics and Salsa roots. It is the result of growing up with Salsa at home and Hip- Hop influence in his lifestyle. in 2005 Tony inked a deal with EMI records and revolutionized the game once again with his Reggaeton album, ReggaeTony. The hit single “Play That Song,” featured Nina Sky and B-real of Cypress Hill. This cd had an All-Star line up such as Tego Calderon, Zion and Lenox, Pitbull, Ivy Queen, NORE, , Voltio, Mexicano, Thirston Howl III and Soni just to name a few. The album went GOLD and with that success, EMI moved quickly to release 'ReggaeTony 2'. This cd featured more heavyweights including Lumidee
, Plan B, Joell Ortiz, Tru Life, Don Chezina and the Beatnuts. To this date Tony has sold over a million records worldwide.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
break dancer, rapper, DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, producer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
descent.
Tony Touch began as a B-boy during the rap music renaissance era of the early 1980s. Heavily influenced by pioneers like Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew is a b-boying crew and hip hop group that was established in the Bronx, New York City in 1977. The group was initially formed by b-boys named Jimmy D and Jojo. In subsequent years, Rock Steady Crew became a franchise name for groups in other locations. The Manhattan branch was...
, Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
, Red Alert, Little Louie Vega and Jam Master Jay, he quickly shifted his interests towards the turntables. Toca is known for legendary mixtapes like the 50 Mcs parts 1, 2 and 3. Included in this series are some of the hottest artist in the game such as KRS One, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
, Wyclef, M.O.P, Big L
Big L
Big L may refer to:* Lamont Coleman , better know by Big L, American hip-hop artist.Or a number of British radio stations:*Big L 1395, a British radio station.*Radio Luxembourg's English-language progammes ....
, Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
and many more all coming together for one collective piece. This along with the countless other mixtapes, Tony became recognized in the streets and by the industry as the real ‘Mixpate King.’
Tony Toca evolved his mixtapes to record releases. In 2000, Tony released “The Piece Maker” on Tommy Boy Records. This album sold 400,000 units worldwide and featured legendary artists like Big Pun, Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
. Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
and much more. The single “I Wonder Why” featuring Total was a hit and the video featured cameos from John Leguizamo, Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew is a b-boying crew and hip hop group that was established in the Bronx, New York City in 1977. The group was initially formed by b-boys named Jimmy D and Jojo. In subsequent years, Rock Steady Crew became a franchise name for groups in other locations. The Manhattan branch was...
, Grand Master Flash,The Awesome 2, Marley Marl, Dj Premier and more. Since then Tony Toca released “The Piece Maker 2”which also had an all-star line up with features such as P. Diddy, Fat Joe, Sean Paul, Snoop Dogg and legendary Ruben Blades. Toca is also known to represent the urban Latino community to the fullest with his Spanglish lyrics and Salsa roots. It is the result of growing up with Salsa at home and Hip- Hop influence in his lifestyle. in 2005 Tony inked a deal with EMI records and revolutionized the game once again with his Reggaeton album, ReggaeTony. The hit single “Play That Song,” featured Nina Sky and B-real of Cypress Hill. This cd had an All-Star line up such as Tego Calderon, Zion and Lenox, Pitbull, Ivy Queen, NORE, , Voltio, Mexicano, Thirston Howl III and Soni just to name a few. The album went GOLD and with that success, EMI moved quickly to release 'ReggaeTony 2'. This cd featured more heavyweights including Lumidee
Lumidee
Lumidee Cedeño is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. Cedeño was born in Spanish Harlem where she was raised by her grandparents...
, Plan B, Joell Ortiz, Tru Life, Don Chezina and the Beatnuts. To this date Tony has sold over a million records worldwide.
Studio albums
- 2000: The Piece MakerThe Piece MakerThe Piece Maker is the debut album by Tony Touch, released on April 18, 2000 through Tommy Boy Records.-Background:Tony Touch had already made an name for himself as one of New York City's most prominent mixtape DJ's, releasing hundreds of mixtapes since the early 90s...
- 2002: The Last Of Pro-Ricans
- 2004: The Piece Maker 2The Piece Maker 2The Piece Maker 2 is the second studio album by Tony Touch, released on February 24, 2004 through Koch Records.-Background:The album was a "sequel" to Tony Touch's 2000 debut, The Piece Maker, which became a minor hit on the Billboard charts...
- 2005: The Reggaetony Album
- 2007: Reggaetony 2
- 2011: The Piece Maker 3 Return of the 50 MC's
Partial Mixtape Discography
- 1991: Hip Hop Volume 1
- 1996: Power Cypha: 50's MCs
- 1997: Power Cypha 2
- 1999: Power Cypha 3: The Grand Finale
- 2002: B-Boy Breaks 3: James Brown Tribute
- 2003: R&B Volume 30: The Love Session
- 2010: Feel Good
- 2011: Feel Good # 2
Collaborations
- 1997: The 5 Deadly Venonms of Brooklyn (w/ Evil Dee, Mister Cee, PF Cuttin and Premier)
- 2000: Da Diaz Brothers: Live In Japan (w/ Doo Wop)
External links
- Official Website
- Tony Touch at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Tony Touch interview