May 11–18, 2000

disc quicks|hip-hop

Tony Touch

(Tommy Boy)

Instead of making peace, veteran b-boy and DJ Tony Toca wreaks neck-snapping havoc on his latest mix-tape The Piece Maker. About the only time Tony really loses his Touch is when he ventures into dancehall on "P.R. All-Stars," with its generic, overused beat. On the hip-hop tracks, though, he’s treacherous, and a varied roster of guest MCs only heightens the musical massacre: D.I.T.C., Tash, Eminem and Helter Skelter to name a few. On "The Abduction" Wu-Tang spits concentrated verbal poison. "Class of ’87" is a testament to why KRS-One is still hip-hop’s blueprint for longevity. Hands down, however, the most hot-to-death is the title track by Gang Starr: Premier provides thoroughly incising cuts and scratches for Guru’s expertly executed dedication to Touch. Besides the obvious rhythm fixes, what’s notable about Touch is that he doesn’t just violate the vinyl, he molests the microphone. In fact, his word fervor outwits a few MCs he shares the mic with. On "U Know the Rules (Mi Vida Loca)," for example, Touch’s Spanglish verse is so swift, he puts the mediocre B-Real to shame. Also, what makes The Piece Maker such a signature piece is how Touch honors his Taino Indian/Puerto Rican roots. One way he does so is by interlacing the album with soundbites and snippets en espanol, and featuring a Mayowakan drum outro dedicated to Borinquen (pre-colonial Puerto Rico).

—Hamida Kinge