Hip Hop Violin – an Exciting New Genre

Hip hop violin may have been brought to the forefront of the public eye thanks to Lindsey Stiirling on America’s Got Talent, but she’s not the only one playing hip hop violin, nor is she even the first to have been on America’s Got Talent with this style of music. Usually achieved by one artist/DJ working a turn-table playing hip hop while another plays a violin, hip hop violin may sound like an oxymoron, but if the success of the groups performing this style is any indication, this unique mixture of classical violin and edgy hip hop is here to stay.

The previous group doing hip hop violin on America’s Got Talent was the wildly successful Nuttin’ but Stringz, who achieved second place in the third season of the show. This duo consisting of brothers Tourie and Damian Escobar have come a long way from their early days as teenagers playing on the subways to supplement their single mother’s income. Incorporating their classical training at Julliard School with the broad range of music they were exposed to at home, they came up with a unique sound all their own.

These days with their platinum debut album, frequent guest appearances on television, two Emmys and after being featured in the popular dance movie “Step Up,” Nuttin’ But Stringz is bringing the unique mix of violin and hip hop to the mainstream.

Paul Dateh combined his fourteen years of classical music and violin studies with the Jazz Studies program at The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music to create a lively sound all his own. Now a singer, song-writer and instrumentalist, he performs with his band, “The Live Movement,” all over the U.S. He also performs his brand of hip hop and violin with artists such as inka one, Clika One and Daz Dillinger.

Miri Ben-Ari, the Hip Hop Violinist who has actually trademarked the term, hails from Israel. She is a classically trained violinist who has worked with big names like Kanye West and Alicia Keys, helping propel her to the top. Her music is somewhat subdued compared to the other hip hop violin artists.

Two classically trained musicians who go by the names KeV Marcus and Wil b form the group Black Violin. Since they won the “2005 Apollo Legends,” they and their DJ, TK, have been touring and performing with stars such as Linkin Park’s lead singer Mike Shinoda, Puff Daddy “Diddy,” and Alicia Keys.
Daniel Bernard Roumain, DBR, with his band “DBR & The Mission,” doesn’t perfectly fit the hip hop violin style. His band features strings, rhythm section and a DJ beat-boxing and scratching to create what the artist calls “dred violin,” partly in tribute to his own waist-length dreadlocks. But even though his style is his own, he is still playing a mix of jazz, rock and hip-hop on his violin.

While Lindsey Stirling may not have been the best example of hip hop violin, with her Raggedy Ann outfit, playground set and over-powering “back up” performers, she is at least showing that the genre is catching on among young people. (And I have to say, her audition tape and her America’s Got Talent stage audition, both of which can be seen on YouTube, were much better than this most recent performance).

Inspiring young people, exposing them to the arts and giving them an opportunity to show what they can do musically is a major goal of many hip hop violinists, particularly Black Violin, who has won an award for their outstanding contributions to middle and high school performing arts students, and Nuttin’ But Stringz, who play at schools to encourage young people in the Arts and work with charities such as YMCA Strong Kids Campaign to help children and families who are unable to afford YMCA services.

Given the talent and commitment of these individuals and the rising interest of younger people in the genre, I think it’s safe to say that hip hop violin is here to stay. if Lindsey Stirling’s performance on America’s Got Talent leads people to talented groups such as Nuttin’ But Stringz or Black Violin, then this exciting new genre may get the respect it deserves.

Sources:

http://www.nuttinbutstringz.com/

http://pauldateh.com/

http://www.theviolinsite.com/hip-hop_violin.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/Hip-Hop-with-Violins

http://www.blackviolin.net/bio.html

http://www.pgtvideos.com/americas-got-talent-2010-lindsey-stirling-august-3-2010