Hip-hop meets classical music in Black Violin

When two classically trained violinists began experimenting with playing stringed melodies over mash-ups of popular hip-hop songs, they had no idea this sound was something craved by a wide audience. Several years later, Black Violin combines jazz, hip-hop, funk and classical music to create an original sound both complicated and simple that inspires both old and young people.

Black Violin will perform with one viola player and vocalist, Wil Battiste, violinist Kev Marcus and DJ TK at the Lincoln Center on Jan. 26 for two shows.

“People are going to expect a violin show, but it will be high energy,” Battiste said. “We encourage the audience to get out of their seat and dance. We do bring it back down and showcase ourselves in different ways. It is all about having fun and leaving your troubles behind. It is pop and rock and hip-hop from a violinist’s perspective.”

The group has played with artists such as Alicia Keys, Linkin Park, P.Diddy, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin and the Eagles. Their tours have taken them all around the world. All of this began with the humble beginnings of two inner-city school kids.

For Battiste, his music career began with a school security guard.

“I used to beat on the table in seventh grade,” Battiste said. “The security guard told me to stop. He told me he played the sax and made some money on the side. So I signed up for band to play the sax and make some money on the side. But they put me in the wrong class. They put me in orchestra. I thank God for that. From there I started really coming into my own as far as a classical musician. I really enjoyed what I did and I was motivated by teachers.”

Battiste met Marcus at a high school in Florida with an outstanding music program. Both received full scholarships to attend the universities in Florida. They formed a production company called DKNEX to serve as a platform for their experimentation with hip-hop, jazz and classical.

“The hip-hop thing is something we have always done to help keep our interest in classical music,” Battiste said. “And so switching it up and listening to stuff on the radio, that is one of the big reasons why we kept going. From there we went to college and we got a performance degree. Then Kevin and I came back together and started really producing and working with artists.”

Lincoln Center public relations coordinator Susan Herlihy believes Black Violin’s music marries the excitement of classical music to the accessibility of hip-hop.

“The kids will go crazy for the combination of Kanye West and hip-hop with classical, but the parents will love all of the classical,” she said. “There is a deejay and lots of energy, as well as a message that if you dream something hard enough, you can absolutely make it happen. Instead of letting doors close, Black Violin used music to open doors and they let their hard work allow them to open the doors for them, and they had tons of fun doing it.”

Beyond their entertainment focus, at the heart of Black Violin is a message for the importance of music education and also giving kids an inspiration to pursue their interests.

“We feel like we have a sense of responsibility,” Battiste said. “We don’t take that for granted. We like to entertain, but we like to give kids something they can use and inspire them to practice and do more of what they like to do.”

The main message they want to convey to young musicians is to stay out of the box.

“Take whatever you have a passion for and do something with it that no one has seen before,” Battiste said. “Be yourself. Keep moving. If you are being yourself and you are a musician, people can appreciate that and love that. We are privileged and blessed to be in a position where we are being ourselves. It is difficult to mimic or emulate someone else. It is exhausting to try and be someone else.”