Pitchfork

Here's a Jewish folktale they don't tell you in Hebrew school: Boy has Bar Mitzvah. Boy rakes in mad cash. Boy buys turntables. Boy becomes DJ legend.

Such is the story of Alain Macklovitch, aka A-Trak. The championship turntablist is one of the most sought-after spinners in hip-hop, and he currently serves as Kanye West's touring DJ. Did we mention he's only 24 years old? Sure, having an older brother who's a hip-hop producer/Vice editor/Chromeo member helped, but this kid made it to the top through the strength of his fingers alone. If only The Hebrew Hammer had as good a script...

The Montreal golden boy's journey from "Mazel Tov" to "Jesus Walks" is chronicled on the A-Trak DVD Sunglasses Is a Must which will be released on April 4 courtesy of Nature Sounds/Caroline. (It was originally supposed to come out yesterday, but the company distributing it, Studio Distribution, went bankrupt.) Peanut Butter Wolf, KLC, the Beastie Boys, Money Mark, and, of course, Kanye, all appear in the film.

2006 looks to be a busy year for the young scratch-master. He's hard at work on his debut solo album, tentatively due in the fall, and slated to feature guest spots from Dipset, Little Brother, and Kanye cohort GLC. He also recently released two mixes: the 'Ye-endorsed GLC collaborative mixtape Drive Slow and the live set Oh No You Didn't! (Live in Vancouver).

If A-Trak didn't seem like such a likeable dude, we'd be jealous of him. But we're not. So, while we reflect on how little we've accomplished in our young lives, you can amuse yourselves by reading the itinerary for the remainder of Kanye West's "Touch the Sky" world tour, for which A-Trak will be manning the turntables.

He's major:

03-06 Cologne, Germany - Palladum
03-08 Rotterdam, The Netherlands - The Ahoy
03-09 Paris, France - Zeni
03-10 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
03-12 Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
03-16 Auckland, New Zealand - St. James
03-17 Auckland, New Zealand - Ericsson Stadium
03-18 Auckland, New Zealand - Ericsson Stadium
03-20 Brisbane, Australia - Convention Center
03-21 Brisbane, Australia - QSAC Stadium
03-23 Melbourne, Australia - Festival Hall
03-24 Melbourne, Australia - Telstra Dome
03-25 Melbourne, Australia - Telstra Dome
03-26 Sydney, Australia - Horden Pavillion
03-28 Adelaide, Australia - AAMI Stadium
03-29 Adelaide, Australia - Barton Theatre
03-31 Sydney, Australia - Telstra Stadium
04-01 Sydney, Australia - Telstra Stadium
04-02 Sydney, Australia - Opera House
04-05 Yokohama, Japan - Yokohama Blitz
04-06 Tokyo, Japan - Audio Coast