Black Violin, a Grammy Award-nominated classical-meets-hip-hop duo, will bring its unique show to the Franklin Theatre on Feb. 5 and 6.
For more than 18 years, Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, who make up Black Violin, have been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals. The pair met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and were classically trained on the violin and viola through their high school and college careers.
Post-college, they reconvened to produce beats for South Florida rappers and began building an audience in local clubs. They later went on to win “Showtime at the Apollo” in 2005 and eventually sold out headline performances at venues across the country, including a sold-out, two-night headline run at The Kennedy Center in 2018.
Their unique brand of merging the genre they were listening to (hip hop) with the world they were studying (classical) was celebrated with collaborations with Alicia Keys, Wu Tang Clan, 2 Chainz and others.
“We are excited to connect with Franklin, and, as for me, I give so much of myself on stage it is spiritual,” Marcus said. “We have upgraded and updated the show with a new light show, added production elements and we may even perform a number from our holiday project, ‘Give Thanks.’”
Black Violin has 66 shows between now and July. The COVID-19 pandemic gave the duo some respite time, and they are rejuvenated and excited to be back performing.
For Marcus, the Franklin shows will be extra special for him. Feb. 5 will be his 40th birthday.
“From the moment we step on stage we leave a part of us on it, we want the audience to sing, dance and connect with us,” he said.
Black Violin’s studio album “Take the Stairs,” released on Nov. 1, 2019, and including singles “Showoff,” “One Step” and “Impossible is Possible,” debuted atop the Billboard Classical Chart, as well as No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart, No. 7 on Billboard’s Top New Artists Chart and No. 9 on the Billboard Hip Hop and R&B Chart. Their album “Stereotypes” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover Chart and No. 4 on Billboard’s R&B Chart, while their album “Take the Stairs” was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Violin was touring extensively, playing over 200 shows a year — many for young, low-income students in urban communities. In 2019 alone, the duo played for over 100,000 students.
These performances aimed to challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like.
“The stereotypes are always there, embedded so deep in our culture,” Baptiste said. “Just by the nature of our existence, we challenge those ideas. It’s a unique thing that brings people together who aren’t usually in the same room, and in the current climate, it’s good to bring people together.”
Often, the duo will work alongside a youth orchestra in the market they’re playing in, bringing them on stage for a performance.
Together, they pay it forward with grants and financial assistance provided to help young musicians. Recently, they were profiled on CBS and PBS for the work they’ve done during the pandemic.
Black Violin was featured on PBS and CBS.
Students describe Marcus and Baptiste as “inspiring.” They truly believe and teach young people that they can do anything and can go anywhere.
Black Violin also joined other artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Elton John to collaborate with Turnaround Arts to bring arts education to struggling schools in underserved communities. Turnaround Arts is a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts founded by President Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2012.
Black Violin has composed for a major FOX Television original pitch and has been featured by ESPN as the official artist of the 2017 U.S. Open tennis tournament and 2016 and 2017 Heisman Trophy Award ceremonies. They have been featured on “The Tonight Show,” “Ellen,” “The Wendy William’s Show,” NPR and more.
Tickets are on sale now for both performances at the Franklin Theatre. DJ SPS, drummer Nat Stokes and a keyboardist will join the duo on stage.
To purchase tickets, visit www.franklintheatre.com.
