When Wil Baptiste (viola) and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester (violin) first learned to play—at age 14 and 9 respectively—neither could have foreseen that their passion would become their livelihood. The Florida natives met in high school, but it was not until they were exposed to the work of legendary swing-era violinist Stuff Smith—whose final album was entitled Black Violin, a name the duo adopted to honor the man who taught them there were no limits to what the violin could do—that the seeds that would one day become the innovative classical hip-hop duo were planted.

Once formed, the group wasted no time in making a name for itself. Together and individually, Black Violin has collaborated with Alicia Keys, P. Diddy, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, and The Eagles; and performed at SXSW, Bonnaroo, three Super Bowls, the U.S. Open, and the 2016 Heisman Trophy ceremony.

With influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z, Black Violin breaks the rules, blending classical with modern to create a sound that no one has ever heard but everyone wants to feel, and showing that music can be as unrestrained as the minds that conceive it.