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Where would music be with out Classical influence? Overall we look at the essence of some of our most popular forms of music and many can be derivated back to the same instruments that are played by some of the most sophisticated people in the world. Black Violin has worked with Diddy, Kanye, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Aerosmith, Tom Petty,The Eagles, Michael Bolton, Aretha Franklin, and George Michael just to name a few. Besides being a extremely dope group of instrumentalists they are over just good people. Enter Black Violin....
Wil B: Whats good Hallway?
illRoots.com: How are you doing today sir?
Wil B: Pretty Good, pretty good, pretty good.
illRoots.com: Thank you first off for the time.
Wil B: No problem. Its all good.
illRoots.com: How did you come up with the name Black Violin?
Wil B: Basically the name came about when Kevin got into college. There's a particular violinist by the name of Stubbs Smith. So basically his professor introduced that album, the last album that he came out with was called "Black Violin". He really influenced how we work, when you listen to his music you can tell he was just playing that violin the way he wanted. As well we are black so.
illRoots.com: Yea, I just wanted to see if it was more than just because you guys are black and just so happen to play violins.[Laughs]So you have an album online, do you mind giving us a summary of what to expect?
Wil B: The album to me is a very well rounded album, something that I think anybody can appeal to. Whether you are a five year old black kid to an 80 year old Jewish lady. Its because the violin is that broad and Hip-Hop is that broad. Hip-Hop is crossing boundaries, and this is what those particular individuals could talk about together.If you like your trunk to rattle, that album is for you. If you like the funk the jazz, that album is for you. If you like the Motown era that the Temptations created, that album is for you. We got stuff that can make you sweat out your perm. Just everything is in there, live instruments, live orchestra, live drums. The only feature we have on their is DMX, who blessed us with a hook. Besides that its all Black Violin, we do some vocals on there as well. I sing and he raps, for the most part its alot of instrumentals.

illRoots.com: So how do you feel you've grown since Black Violin won the Apollo?
Wil B: Oh man, I was talking about that the other day. To be honest the Apollo really opened up doors, mainly because we were in New York. We didn't know what we had at first, you know? So as far as after that we didn't get no label deal or nothing like that. To be honest we weren't ready, we completed an album early last year that came out in December and it took a minute for us to put it together but it was well worth it. We've just grown so much as artists and performers as well. To where I perform and my mentality is totally different, there could be 2 people or 100,000 my energy is consistent. It helps for that energy to be coming back from the audience but I'm just appreciative of what I do and I give 150 no matter what. Our performance level has grown, if you've seen us perform its growing really rapidly. Just from the Apollo I'm a different person.
illRoots.com: What do you most satisfying since I know you tour, do production, and so forth?
Wil B: I thank god man because to be honest I'm just a regular dude, I'm from the ghetto. I've never been outside of that but I've just moved up to that, just bought my crib but its by no means the suburbs. I just thank god that I'm able to do something that everyone appreciates because it really throws me off sometimes when I do shows and I'm like I'm playing this violin over Hip-Hop something I've always done. At the time when I'm at a show and to see the response and just being on stage and seeing South Africa and Dubai and to travel all over the country playing the violin is a blessing. To finally have a gateway I mean we are independent but we are growing really fast. That right there is while I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face, and I rarely smile much, but I just think about it and its crazy. I could have been in alot of situations that could have happened so I'm extremely blessed.

illRoots.com: One song that you feel could summarize your life?
Wil B: One track that summarizes me in particular, one of my favorite albums "Supafly" by Curtis Mayfield, I'm going to try to grab something from that. I mean .....................one song that could.....man......I can tell you as far Black Violin as far as on the album that is the very first track on the album "Brendenburg". Its a classical piece that we just flipped. That track right there defines us because its real classical and we funk it out in the middle and in the end its classical. Just to know we couldn't do anything without the foundation which is classical. Going back to that question, I'm going to go back to it...its going to hit me..[Laughs]
illRoots.com: Out of all the artists that you've worked with give me one story?
Wil B: An incredible story would have to be Alicia Keys as the first kind of superstar that we had the blessing to work with her and perform with her and she is genuinely a really really cool person. Even though she comes off as a cool person she is really dope chick, I mean she is bad as hell. That had a little bit to do with but she isn't stuck up she would come over to you and talk to you and shake your hand and listen to you. You know with some artists they hear you talking but they aren't listening but she really pays attention, it could be bias but she has been pretty consistent. Thats one story, she is a real cool person.
illRoots.com: So you are doing a European tour with Jay-Z?
Wil B: Yea we are already going to be over there touring doing a bunch of other dates. We are going to be in Germany alot, Japan, we are doing a few dates over there.
illRoots.com: How did you get linked up with that?
Wil B: My booking agent/manager Ice, A-list Agency, he works hard over there. He has really great contacts so whatever comes to his table over there he would suggest us for certain things and see if we can jump on certain projects. The first time we went to Dubai, which was last year, which is a huge company in Dubai that puts on shows.Its a crazy place man, its rediculous. They can build you an island but keep in mind its a desert.
illRoots.com: Musically, how do you feel about hip-hop right now?

Black Violin & Wyclef @ Sob's
Wil B: There is no sense of balance right now, as far as if you turn on the radio the major radios there is nothing that, well there is no balance. Its funny I was in the club the other day and I never club but its funny how the clubs have done a full circle. Back in the day when I was younger every song had a dance move, then in high school you post up in the corner and if you got a chick in the front of you you dance. But nowadays if something is happening they oversaturate a certain style or theme and alot of these radio people and A&R's are so afraid. At the end of the day its about the fans and the people that listen to the music, its so political. At the same time I thank god for this independent movement because you can do whatever and if you are successful the majors hate it.
illRoots.com: My own personal opinion is that alot of these majors start out small and they see the rise of someone with potential so in order to capitalize off of them they pull off deals or they become frightened.
Wil B: The thing about it is everybody can eat, and the majors think they know what you are supposed to do and to me you can't tell. Soulja Boy for crying out loud. There is no one way to do something. Its all about marketing and the majors have so much pull with the radio and the stores that's why alot of these independent artists can't really get through but I thank god for the internet.
illRoots.com: You have to move though.
Wil B: Yea you can't just stay still, like us we are moving and honestly with hip-hop I wish it could go back to shows, we have some people like Kanye that are taking it there. If you go to a Kanye West show you see a orchestra come out of the ground. Its a good show to the point where if you don't like his music you would still love his show. I guarantee that person buys the album after that. Hip-Hop has to come to that because you can't make money off of record sales anymore.
illRoots.com: Future?
Wil B: Me personally I'm trying to get into alot of things, but whatever God puts forth and use my money right.
illRoots.com: Where can we some of those production credits at?
Wil B: Paris Hilton's first album, Jessica Simpson's first or second, Kymani Marley's album, we do alot of stuff with Scott Storch that I'm not quite positive if they released it for them or not, Jim Jonsin as well.
illRoots.com: Thanks big homie for everything and look out these guys are moving up rapidly. Black Violin is taking over the UK with Jay later on so look out for them as well pick up there album.