TONY TOUCH
Tony Touch has become one of New York’s most popular hip-hop DJs over the last decade, spinning in clubs and releasing more than 50 fast-paced mix tapes. But his first mix CD, The Piece Maker (Tommy Boy), is more than a digital version of one of his sets: He’s assembled an impressive collection of exclusive tracks from stars like the Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Xzibit, Defari, and Cypress Hill, mixing most of them and scratching, albeit not that impressively, over others. He also tries his hand at producing his own: “No, No, No,” with rapping from Heltah Skeltah, is bumpin’, but I couldn’t help cringing during “I Wonder Why? (He’s the Greatest DJ),” a schlocky number featuring Keisha and Pam of the trio Total and unimaginative samples from the Sister Sledge hit “He’s the Greatest Dancer.” Touch even steps up to the mike on “The Return of the Diaz Bros.,” one of several cuts featuring Latino rappers–even Mos Def busts into a little Spanish on “What’s That? (ÀQue Eso?).” For this gig, however, Touch will stick to the wheels of steel. Saturday, 10 PM, Joe’s, 940 W. Weed; 312-337-3486. PETER MARGASAK
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): Tony Touch photo by Piotre Sikor.