ThaFormula.com - How is it going with the next project?

Tony Touch - "Piece maker 2" is almost done right now and it's just more fire bro. Different line up as far as producers and MC's go. I changed the whole line up just to show the variety of personalities that we deal with. It's gonna be just as big as the last album as well. Same Formula.

ThaFormula.com - So the album is almost done?

Tony Touch - Pretty much. I'm mixing things down right now. I got about 17 joints you know, and hopefully were looking at a mid 2002 release.

ThaFormula.com - Did you do a lot more tracks production wise yourself?

Tony Touch - I did some myself you know. I'd say maybe a little bit more than the last album. I rhymed on this album a little bit more too. So yeah, there is a little more Tony Touch on there, but again this is a mix tape album. This is not a Tony Touch solo album, it's still a compilation type setup. So I stuck to that formula still. Even though I'm developing as an artist, producer and things of that nature.

ThaFormula.com - Did the first “Piece Maker” do what you expected or better?

Tony Touch - It did okay man. You know I'm always thinking I can do better. I set high standards bro and as far as the numbers are concerned, we did about 400,000 worldwide. I did about 300,000 in New York . I thought maybe it could have went gold or maybe another single might have done that. In any event, it definitely certified me as a DJ internationally more so and it definitely opened up the gates for me. People are ready to hear me now. I don't think people saw me coming, know what I mean. I'm kinda like one of New York's most slept on, so I had to really show n’ prove crazy, and I did that on the last album and now people believe. So hopefully on this run the numbers will bubble up.

ThaFormula.com - How is it that you got around working with so many artists and getting so much love from them like you do?

Tony Touch - That's from doing so many mix tapes over the years. I was always one that I used my mixtapes as a promotional tool and I used to always give them out at functions and events and I would see artists and things like that and that's how I built my relationships with these people you know, and I did the 50 MC's project back in ‘95 thru ‘98. I put out a series called the 50 MC's part 1, 2 and 3. Every tape I did on that, I changed the whole lineup. So you know I've worked with over 180 artists on those projects. Any one from KRS to Eminem to M.O.P. to Dead Prez and Wu-Tang. You know, you name it. I was an outlet for all these cats too. Putting out their new music, getting’ heard, during a time when the mixtape market was very strong.

ThaFormula.com - How do you look at the new type of mix tape DJ nowadays? It seems like all these big name DJ just throw together some new tracks with no more mixing, just a bunch of yellin’ over tracks?

Tony Touch - Right and that's why I say the market is not what it was, and I respect everybody's hustle. Me personally though, that's not my style. My style is more of a DJ oriented tape. I still do mixtapes, I still blend, I still scratch and I balance it out. I have a lot of exclusives on my tapes, but I also play album cuts, you know what I mean, of things that are out that people might not be aware of that's on the album, that's on the soundtrack. I get freestyles here and there and yeah, I mean you know KaySlay, Clue, and all these guys that are doing they thing with the exclusive or whatever, I respect that hustle, but you know that's not my hustle. I think a lot of people recognize regardless. Real recognizes real and people that respect the art and culture, they know the deal. I'm talkin’ people from overseas to here in the states you know. The thing is man this rap music is so fickle man. It's like things come in and out of style so fast that people tend to just, uh, you have an audience man that's just into hearing that new shit an then tossin’ it immediately afterwards. So there is no support there, and I feel that I have longevity because I'm dedicated to the art. I think that there is an audience for that as well. That's my audience. People that are gonna support me regardless of what's going on you know. Not those people that run out and buy what's hot right then and there, but rather people that are gonna support regardless.

ThaFormula.com - When did you start to notice a big change in hip-hop?

Tony Touch - What it is man, is that you got these corporations now man that are locking the game down bro, and this is like a monopoly right now. Certain people are getting’ their records in rotation on radio stations and unless your part of this elite group man, your not really gonna get them spins. So it depends on what your doing it for. If your doing it for the money, your doing it for the fame, for the props. It depends on what your angle is, but I think that there is still different forms of hip-hop in terms of people that are puttin’ out quality shit, that may not be getting’ heard on the radio and there is a lot of that man, and that's where the mix tapes come in still representin’ that element. My tapes you know what I mean. Artists that may not be heard on the radio like that. So as far as the sound and stuff like that yeah, it's a little happy go lucky, but I think things are changing. Everything comes full circle you know. This is like the second time that we’ve been through that paid in full era. That just goes to show you that everything goes in full circle and now it will come back to the beats and things like that man. Because what happens is that the generation is getting older to and unless hip hop heads is gonna put out some quality material, the listeners are gonna stray off an go into either other genres of music or go back to what they was hearin’.

ThaFormula.com - Do you get out to L.A. at all man?

Tony Touch - I get out there a few times a year. Matter of fact, I just got a package from my boys over there. Joker Man of the Cypress Hill click, he just sent me some gear man. Those are my boys over there man. I got a real good relationship with Soul Assassins and them, and of course the Liks, that's family right there. I get out there maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Not as often as I would like, but that will change soon I'm sure.

ThaFormula.com - So do you still rock a lot of clubs?

Tony Touch - Yeah, pretty much man, on an international scale dog. One week I'll be in New York, next week I'll be in Miami, one week in Puerto Rico, Germany, Japan, Amsterdam, these are all places I've been in the last 2 months.

ThaFormula.com - How many years has it been now for you Touch?

Tony Touch - I've been spinnin’ and rockin’ clubs full blast since like ‘88 or ‘87. I started in Florida, I was like 16 organizing my own little functions. Got my own little gig on the radio, did some clubs back then. I was like 17 you know. So know it's been at least 13 or 14 years.

ThaFormula.com - So what artists do you have on the new album this time around man?

Tony Touch - Well the first single that's out now is called "Capicu." It's a white label we’re starting to leak now on a broader scale, but it's been played now on a few stations. Flex and a lot of DJ's in L.A. and stuff like that. It's called "Capicu" and features Fat Joe, Noreaga, Me and Juju from the Beatnuts. "Capicu" is like a closing move in a Domino game you know. So you know that's on there. I got Def Squad on this album, the whole Def Squad you know, Red, E, Keith Murray. I got the Bad Boys on there. You know, Black Rob and ‘Dep. I got Lox, more Wu-Tang heads, Cocoa Brovas, Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, Biz Markie, and the list goes on man.

ThaFormula.com - Did you get Dead Prez on the album this time around?

Tony Touch - Dead Prez is on the album. I got Kurupt, Ice T, so yeah it's lookin’ pretty good.

ThaFormula.com - Production wise, who do you got handling the project other then yourself of course?

Tony Touch - Well, we changed the production. I got Pete Rock this time, I got Beatminerz, and a couple of new guys. Guys I've been working with over the years. My man Paul Pistachio and shit. He's bringin’ some heat. Also, Psycho Les and Juju did beats on this album. I also went back to Premier again you know what I mean. He game me a little fire. Alchemist, Domingo came through and laced me a song. I did a lot of the production as well.

ThaFormula.com - This sounds like a dope album and I'm glad to see that you didn't switch up the format much and kept it real.

Tony Touch - Yeah, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, that's what I say man. I may not have sold a million copies, but the reviews were excellent.

ThaFormula.com - Yeah you got a lot of respect off of that album Touch. Everybody felt that album man...

Tony Touch - Thanks man, and I'll tell you what did it for me too I think, is the burn I got on that Total record, which was a really good club record. The females was feelin’ it, BET was all over it. They gave me mad love. They ran the video, and you know I had Rocksteady all in there so you know it took it back to the essence. It's like the first time we brought like R&B and B-Boys together cause you don't ever see R&B with no B-Boys, and basically I was touching back on that whole Gladys Knight vibe. Remember when she had that record out. It was like a party, everybody was there you know what I mean.

ThaFormula.com - I really felt that album man. You mixed all the tracks together lovely, I was glad to finally hear a mix tape without screaming on it?

Tony Touch - Word! That's peace right there man, and that's good to know that people appreciate the art man, because that's what I'm trying to stay dedicated to.

ThaFormula.com - How long have you been in Rocksteady?

Tony Touch - I been in Rock Steady man since like ‘92 or ‘93. That's always been the same man. I still travel with Crazy Legs and the guys on occasion. I'm still involved in the annual anniversary. I still get on the floor every now then.

ThaFormula.com - So other then your album man, are you working on any other projects?

Tony Touch - Yeah, actually we got a Diaz Brothers album that's in the works. Were about 5 or 6 songs deep already with that and that's gonna be real solid. Doo Wop is droppin’ a solo album as well early next year that's long over do because he was on Universal, but he had label complications, so now he's comin’ out, with I'm not sure who, but he's comin out through a different avenue. I'm also working on an international coalition of Latin artists like artists from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain. Because there is a strong hip-hop scene in all these places man, these guys are really putting in some quality shit. As I've traveled I’ve seen this. So I wanna do like a spanish base of real funky hip-hop, international type vibe. I did one about 4 years ago, but it was all basically Puerto Rican artists and it was a lot of reggae and hip-hop. I had some artists from New York. KRS-One did a song on there for me and so did Greg Nice. That did very well in Puerto Rico and even here in New York and surrounding areas, so I'm gonna do something like that again and just step it up and do it more on an international scale.

ThaFormula.com - Are you planning on working with Orishas at all?

Tony Touch - I did a remix for Orishas, for that song “Represent.” I don't know how much burn it got, but I worked with them dudes and they are mad cool. We did a show together in Spain, so yeah, and of course like Cypress Hill, Beatnuts and Terror Squad. You will have that on there too because we ’re representing the states. I wanna make that sort of album, and I think I owe it to the world, especially the Spanish speakin’ people of the world that have given me so much support. They are on some real Latino shit. I got to places and there like, “Yo!, you represent Latino’s”, and stuff like that. Then I hear some music from these places that's some good shit. I feel like I could put together a real dope album like that. So that will be like for the end of the year, so yeah there is a few projects I'ma be planning on getting’ out this year.

ThaFormula.com - So the new album will be “Piece Maker 2?”

Tony Touch - Yeah, but I'm comin’ out with a subtitle. I don't have it yet, but I might call it “Capicu.” But yeah, it's the “Piece Maker 2.” Same joint as the last one. It's pretty much the same format as far as the flow of the records. I have a few interludes connecting things. You got a couple of freestyles on there. I got like Nature and a few other heads to do some interludes for me you know. Don't forget to tell people out there to check out my website, www.tonytouch.com. It's still up and running and you can purchase merchandise and my tapes and stuff like that there.

ThaFormula.com - No doubt!

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