Hip hop duo Black Violin brings Full Circle Tour to Dayton

Since then, Black Violin has released multiple albums, earned two Grammy nominations and, as the duo’s current tour suggests, come full circle.

Black Violin will make a stop on its Full Circle Tour Oct. 10 at the Schuster Center.

Marcus and Baptiste’s career path has challenged expectations since day one. Growing up in the ‘90s, the two were immersed in the hip hop world. They also happened to play viola and violin. But it’s that blend of strings and hip hop that’s evolved the idea of what classical music can be.

“There is a certain level of elitism that exists in the classical world which annoys the crap out of me,” Baptiste said. “I don’t know if the perception of classical has changed, but I think we’re introducing classical to people that would never, in other ways, want to listen.”

Black Violin’s 2016 take on Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring,” a classic work often used in pop culture to signify high status, is a prime example. The piece faithfully executes the work, note for note, then, around the 33-second mark, the beat drops. That’s the moment you realize you’re getting down to Vivaldi like you never before thought was possible. Black Violin strips the classical genre of the notion that you have to sit stiffly in a black tie to enjoy it.

“We get all kinds of reactions,” Baptiste said. “We have people that sit in the audience, their eyes are closed and they’re just in their own world. People are standing up and just dancing and moving around. We encourage the crowd to express however the music comes. Something we really preach on stage, you know, is express yourself however you feel.”

Much like in modern bluegrass, some traditionalists may not recognize Black Violin as classical. But, as Baptiste points out, the genre has evolved.

“That’s probably one of the things that we’ve done: kind of pushed the envelope as it relates to the evolution of the genre,” Baptiste said. “It needs to start engaging new listeners and really taking risks. It’s fading away and it’s dying away. It needs artists like us that’s able to push the genre further.”

In 2019, the group launched the Black Violin Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth by providing access to quality music programs in their community. BVF works to ensure music education isn’t determined by race, gender or socio-economic status. To further that idea, many of Black Violin’s performances are for young, low-income students in urban communities.

Last year alone, the group played for more than 100,000 students, with the goal of challenging stereotypes and preconceived notions of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like.

With this being the Full Circle Tour, the idea is less about closing a chapter and more about reflecting on the past 20 years of Black Violin. It’s not to say the duo is slowing down or stopping any time soon; it’s just a celebration of two decades of reimagining the genre for modern audiences.

“Hip hop is that rebel kid that’s just like, I’m gonna go and do whatever… that’s what hip hop is,” Baptiste said. “We were just so immersed in it that it was natural for us to be like, We’re gonna do it.”

That rebel spirit is what’s brought Black Violin full circle.

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