Tony touch mos def biography

Mos Def

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New York's rapper Mos Def (Dante Smith) reacted to gangsta-rap by bringing back the philosophy of the Native Tongues posse. Black Star (1998) was a collaboration with rapper Talib Kweli mostly produced by Tony "Hi-Tek" Cottrell, and containing K.O.S. (Determination), and his solo Black on Both Sides (Rawkus, 1999) highlighted his serious-minded approach to rap music and his unified take on rock, soul, dub and funk. Hence the slim blend of dub bass, syncopated drumming and jazzy organ of Fear Not Of Man. Hence the funky horn fanfare of the tragic self-reflection Hip Hop. Hence the guitar hiccups of Do It Now, the jazzy African chant Umi Says, the pan-ethnic shuffle Mr Nigga, etc. His propensity for smooth and calm structures accounts for the lazy Ms Fat Booty, decorated with a hypnotic loop of female vocals, the mellow Speed Law, the easy-listening melody of Climb (reminiscent of Diana Ross' Where Are You Going To), and the oneiric Rock 'n' Roll, with the most viscous rhythm. He betrays a bit of impatience in New World Water and Know That, and especially in the noir oppressive cinematic Brooklyn, but not enough to alter his fundamental stance of detached observer.

He also formed the black rock supergroup Black Jack Johnson with Parliament's keyboardist Bernie Worrell, Bad Brains' guitarist Dr Know, Living Colour's drummer Will Calhoun and Living colour's bassist Doug Wimbish.

The New Danger (2004) was an inferior solo album that continued his probe of funk-rock-soul-rap fusion.

The ambitious The Ecstatic (Downtown, 2009) was produced by J Dilla, Madlib, Chad Hugo, Oh No, Georgia Ann Muldrow, Mr Flash. A creative and exhilaring tour de force, the 16-song collection displays a cohesive approach to social analysis, metaphorically amplified in the whirling pan-ethnic shuffles of Supermagic and Revelations, with a peak of orchestral pathos in Life In Marvelous Times

Mos Def

Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), better known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, actor, songwriter, record producer, and activist. Best known for his music, Mos Def began his hip hop career in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He subsequently formed the duo Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and they released their eponymous debut album in 1998. He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides. His debut was followed by The New Danger(2004), True Magic (2006) and The Ecstatic (2009). The editors at About.com listed him as the 14th greatest emcee of all time on their "50 greatest MC's of our time" list.

Prior to his career in music, Mos Def entered public life as a child actor, having played roles in television films, sitcoms, and theater. Since the early 2000s, Mos Def has appeared in films such as Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Woodsman, Bamboozled and Brown Sugar, as well as for his portrayal of Brother Sam in the Showtime drama series Dexter. He is also known as the host of Def Poetry Jam, which aired on HBO between 2002 and 2007.

Mos Def has been vocal on several social and political causes, including police brutality, the idea of American exceptionalism, and the state of African-Americans.

Early life

Mos Def was born as Dante Terrell Smith in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Sheron Smith and Abdulrahman. The eldest of 12 children and step-children, he was raised by his mother in Brooklyn, while his father lived in New Jersey.

His father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam and later followed Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into mainstream Sunni Is

The Legacy Continues. Tony Touch A.K.A Tony Toca continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Tony Touch, an icon in Hip Hop and in the Urban Hispanic genre plus seasoned player in the game, is a true innovator and has revolutionized the DJ game over and over. From his legendary mix tapes, to his skills on the 1’s and 2’s, he has become one of Hip Hop’s most recognized DJ’s. This C.E.O/Artist/Producer is now currently working on his 7th commercial release titled “The Piece Maker 3…Return of the 50 MC’s” and is expected to make history once again.
Tony Touch began as a B-Boy during the rap music renaissance era of the early 80’s. Heavily influenced by pioneers like 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 his legendary mix tapes like the original 50 MC’s parts 1, 2 and 3. Included in this series are some of the hottest artists 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 mix tapes, Tony became recognized in the streets and industry as the real ‘Mix Tape King.’
Tony Toca evolved his mix tapes to record releases. In 2000, Tony released “The Piece Maker” on Tommy Boy records. This album sold over 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 video for the single “I Wonder Why” featuring Total featured cameos from John Leguizamo, Rock Steady and more. Since then, Tony Touch has released the “Piece Maker 2” which also had an all-star line up with features such as P. Diddy, Fat Joe, Sean Paul, Snoop Dog and even the legendary Ruben Blades.
   Toca is also known to represent the Latino community to the fullest. It is the result of growing up with Salsa at home and Hip-Hop influence in his lifes
  • Joseph Anthony Hernandez (born July

    • The Piece Maker

    2000 studio album by Tony Touch

    The Piece Maker
    ReleasedApril 18, 2000
    Recorded1999–2000
    GenreHip hop
    Length69:30
    LabelTommy Boy, Warner Bros. Records
    ProducerTony Touch, The Alchemist, Psycho Les, 8-Off, DJ Premier, DJ Muggs, DJ Scratch, True Master, Maseo, Showbiz

    The Piece Maker is the debut studio album by American hip hop DJ Tony Touch, released on April 18, 2000, on Tommy Boy Entertainment and Warner Bros. Records.

    Background

    Tony Touch had already made a name for himself as one of New York City's most prominent mixtape DJs, releasing hundreds of mixtapes since the early 1990s. By 2000, Tony Touch signed a deal with Tommy Boy to release his first album to not only include his DJ work and some production, but his own rhymes as well. In addition to himself, the album featured production from the likes of Gang Starr's DJ Premier, Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs, and the Alchemist, among several others. The album also included several guest artists on it including Gang Starr, Cypress Hill, and Wu-Tang Clan. In addition, two singles were released from the album "I Wonder Why? (He's the Greatest DJ)" and "The Return of the Diaz Bros.", both of which found minor chart success on the Billboard R&B charts.The Piece Maker proved popular enough that Tony Touch released a sequel in 2004 titled The Piece Maker 2.

    Reception

    Michael Gallucci of AllMusic gave the album 2.5 out of a possible five stars, proclaiming "DJ Touch has assembled an impressive list of guests", while also stating the album was "marred by homophobic proclamations and played-out clichés". Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews gave the album a much more favorable review. He gave the album a 9 out 10 and in his review he stated "Tony Touch keeps his mic time both minimal and unannoying and gives a VERY solid selection of hip-hop's best artists time to shine on fat new joints. If this was ANY movie's

      Tony touch mos def biography
  • Tony Touch began as a