I went to a performance by Black Violin on Saturday and these dudes are amazing. For those that haven't heard of them, this is a duo that uses violins (one actually plays the viola) to recreate beats of all kinds. They have toured with the likes of Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, and others. At the performance, they performed everything from R&B to Dance Hall to Hip Hop, and even Classical music (with a bit of a twist). I actually first heard about them on sohh.com about a year ago, but hadn't seen or heard anything else about them until last night.

The two young men, Kev Marcus and Wil B "Simplysick" (whom actually plays the viola and 8 other instruments), are originally from Florida and have taken their gift to play the violin not just across the country, but around the world. They first gained recognition at Apollo and have turned that opportunity into touring with a number of big names in several countries. For all other interesting facts and to see their biography, check out their website at http://www.blackviolin.net/. They have a style all their own, from the simple fact that they're playing violins to the way they "decorate" their instruments (Kev Marcus' violin actually has a huge part cut out, only leaving the outline of one side of his violin, resembling their Black Violin emblem).

On stage, you can tell that they have a lot of fun performing and they truly came to entertain. They are pretty fun, as well. You might assume that you can't really rock to a couple of people playing the violin, but everybody at that performance was enjoying themselves as if the artists themselves were actually there. When they first arrived on stage, they got right into it, playing all types of popular rap songs from the past two or three years. After that, they took to the microphone for just a minute, getting the crowd involved, and from then on everybody was out of their seat, enjoying themselves for the whole performance. Of course I have video for all of yall, so check this out. This is just the beginning, though.

  

It is really hard to say which part was my favorite because I could definitely name a few different parts of the performance, but I would have to say that one of them was when Wil B had his solo and performed Ready Or Not by The Fugees. For all of those that are Fugees fans, I'm sure they would have enjoyed this. Check out the video right below.



As good as that was, I also enjoyed it when they went into their old school hip hop set. They played B.I.G., Nas, and many others. They hit every note, almost as if you were just listening to the instrumental, but the sound of the violin and the energy still gave it a bit of a different feeling. It was also cool the way that they mixed the songs. It wasn't just play one song, stop, go into the next. They transitioned from one into the other really smooth, still staying on point. Instead of trying to explain everything, just watch the video.

  

After doing a few more sets of Dance Hall, R&B, and others, they ended (or what I thought was the end) with some classical music. However, this wan't the type of classical music most might be thinking of. For about a minute or so, they just played the violins and began to smooth things out, but as soon as this minute ended, the DJ dropped a beat and the whole vibe changed. This was the mix of hip hop and the violin that has probably brought them so much success.

  

Right before they left, though, they decided to battle each other. Splitting the room right down the center, Kev Marcus had his side of performers and Wil B had his. Since I was on Kev Marcus' side of the room, I felt obligated to support him when it was time to vote. Kev did end up winning Saturday night, but I don't really know how you choose between the two. You decide though. Check out the battle.




I was really impressed by Black Violin when I saw them and I hope to see some more of them. Hopefully they continue to gain more exposure. I think that they have and will continue to open up many doors for young African-American boys and girls. Hip Hop has had such an influence on many  young people's lives and many may view instruments such as the violin and others and instruments for "squares" or "losers" because they're not very visible in this genre of music that we all love. However, if they can be exposed to things of this nature, they can see that there is still a way to be involved in all types of music using instruments they may have learned how to play at a young age. Man, I'm thinking about picking up a harmonica right now lol. Naw, I'm just playing, but this really can do wonders if the youth can get their hands on this.

What do yall think about it? You feeling it, or am I just hyping them up? Is this going to have a big effect on hip hop? What kind of effect? Let your voice be heard. As always, either leave a comment or hit me at straightouttahiphop@gmail.com. Oh, and I gotta apologize to yall for some of these videos, especially having to split them and everything, but you can only do so much with what you got. So, until i get a better camera, yall gotta work with me lol. Catch yall on the next one.


Peace.