Black Violin
Named after an album by swing-era violinist Stuff Smith, Black Violin is a violin- and viola-playing hip-hop duo from Florida. It consists of classically trained musicians Kevin Sylvester (Kev Marcus) and Wilner Baptiste (Wil B), who incorporate a variety of genres into their distinctive string fare. After making their full-length recording debut with Black Violin in 2008, they topped the Billboard classical crossover chart and hit the R&B Top Five with their third album and major-label debut, 2015's Stereotypes.
Sylvester and Baptiste met as high school students in a Fort Lauderdale performing arts program and formed the group after attending separate universities. Quickly gaining a reputation for their dynamic performance style, the duo received national exposure after an appearance with Alicia Keys at the 2004 Billboard Awards and winning the talent show Showtime at the Apollo in 2005. Amid mixtape releases, they issued their eponymous debut album in 2008 and Classically Trained in 2012. In the meantime, the duo earned support spots on tours for, among others, Wu-Tang Clan, Ciara, Aerosmith, and Kanye West. In 2014, they signed with Universal Music Classics, which released their third long-player, Stereotypes, in 2015. It not only debuted at number one on Billboard's Classical Crossover Albums chart but reached number four on the Top R&B Albums chart.
After parting ways with Universal, Black Violin issued Take the Stairs back on their own Di Versatile Music Group label in 2019. A collaboration with producer Phil Beaudreau, it went to the top of the classical and classical crossover album charts on its way to becoming a Top 25 independent album. 2020 brought the group's first holiday-themed release in the full-length Give Thanks album.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
Discography
16 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
-
Stereotypes
R&B - Released by Black Violin on 18 sep. 2015
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Take the Stairs
Klassiek - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 1 nov. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Black Violin (Rediscovered)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Di Versatile, Inc on 4 dec. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classically Trained
Pop - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 30 okt. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Give Thanks
Kerstmuziek - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 20 nov. 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Black Violin (Live in Los Angeles, CA, 2020)
Soul - Released by Jam in the Van on 21 aug. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dreamer (Live in Los Angeles, CA, 2020)
Soul - Released by Jam in the Van on 7 aug. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stereotypes
R&B - Released by Black Violin on 18 sep. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One Step
R&B - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 4 okt. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
We Are One
Pop - Released by Single Lock Records on 30 sep. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Showoff (Single)
Klassiek - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 23 aug. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Time To Shine (Morning Edition)
Klassiek - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 17 feb. 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Celebra feat. De La Ghetto
Klassiek - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 13 nov. 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Give Thanks
Klassiek - Released by Di Versatile Music Group on 16 okt. 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Triumph
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Di Versatile, Inc on 17 mei 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ringtones
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Di Versatile, Inc on 18 dec. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo