Appearances: Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta.

Hip-Hop Violinist

At first glance, Israeli-born violinist Miri Ben-Ari might appear an unlikely hip- hop star, but when she bangs out her rendition of the Notorious B.I.G. classic "One More Chance" on shows such as "106 and Park" and "Showtime at the Apollo," it's clear her skills are enough to justify the hype.

Known as the "the hip-hop violinist," the classically trained Ben-Ari has been (literally) throwing bows with everyone from Wynton Marsalias to Jay-Z over the last few years. Recently appearing on Twista's hit "Overnight Celebrity" and on 90% of Kanye West's The College Dropout disc, Ben-Ari is now pulling strings on her own aptly-titled debut, The Hip-Hop Violinist, featuring Kanye West, Scarface, Anthony Hamilton and a roster of other A-list artists. "I don't believe in limiting myself musically," she explains, "but hip-hop is who I am."

Actually, the petite, string virtuoso, who once studied under the late classical master Isaac Stern, is also well respected in jazz circles, with two critically acclaimed albums under her belt. After serving a two-year stint in the Israeli Army, Ben-Ari decided to come to New York to study jazz. However after 2 semesters and later under the late Betty Carter, she decided she wanted to broaden her musical horizons. "Listening to the radio, I just became fascinated with rap," Ben-Ari says passionately, "anything by Biggie, 2Pac or Jigga inspires me."

In 2001, Miri's fiery determination and violin artistry caught the ear of Wyclef Jean, who has since dubbed her the "world's greatest living violinist." Since their pairing, Miri's worked with the Grammy award-winning Alicia Keys (she arranged the strings for Alicia's 2001 smash "Fallin' "), she produced strings for Patti Labelle, Brandy, Britney Spears, Joe, Lil Mo, Maroon 5 and Janet Jackson among others. Invited by Jay-Z to play during his historic 2001 Summer Jam set, Miri accompanied Jay in performing his # 1 single "Big Pimpin' "in front of almost 20,000 fans. The memorable collaboration led him to tap her for his live Showtime concert that took place in 2003. Honored by his glowing endorsement, Miri hopes that hip-hop heads will finally feel her own music. "People tell me when I play, they don't even think it's the violin- it transcends to be another voice," she says. "That's my voice. I feel like a rapper when I go onstage. I express myself similarly, my voice is the violin."

With her voice all warmed up and raring to go, Miri is proud to introduce fans to her groundbreaking, star-studded project. Featuring 16 remarkable tracks-- including some gorgeous solo instrumentals-- the avid yoga fan and recently naturalized U.S. citizen, who's graced stages such as Carnegie Hall and performed at such luminous events as MTV's 2004 Video Music Awards, is preparing to officially change the game. First up to bat is the iridescent "Sunshine To The Rain," which, as with many of her songs, holds significant personal meaning for her. "I get the goose bumps every time I listen to it," she says humbly. "Usually rappers don't talk about stuff like that. It's easier to talk about money and jewels than it is to put your real feelings out there."

Next Ben-Ari teams up with R&B powerhouse Lil' Mo for the gospel-tinged, motivational tune "Hold Your Head Up High," which finds the musician violently nodding to the beat as, in her words- Lil' Mo "murders the track" with her multi-octave vibrato. However, on the smooth and sensual "Fly Away," Miri explores her softer side. "'Fly Away' for me is almost like a classic song," she says. "It has a vibe like it was created back in the day-Retro. It has the flavor of good wine." Giving a nod to her rap roots with her now famous hip-hop rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" featuring Doug E Fresh, Miri proudly recalls how the song won her a contract with Universal Records after Chairman and CEO of the Universal Music Group, Doug Morris, heard her performance at a T.J. Martell Foundation event. "I didn't know it, but Doug Morris was there," she says happily. "He had started to leave right before I went onstage, but because it was the national anthem, he stopped and waited by the door. He was impressed with what he heard and I got signed the next day. This song and Doug E. Fresh are forever a part of my little history."

One song that's sure to silence classical music purists who might frown on Ben-Ari's decision to go hip-hop is her take on the famous "New World Symphony," a standard borrowed from 19th century composer AntonÌn Dvor·k. "This is the song where I took my classical education and background and fused it with Kanye West's production," Miri explains of her haunting, bass-heavy duet with Pharaohe Monch. "It's a real heavy song. I wanted all the critics to know that I can flip the script and still do me." Miri rounds out her impressive audio arsenal with a plethora of other songs featuring artists such as Fabolous, Lil' Flip, Baby and Lil' Wayne from the Cash Money crew, E-40, Twista, Kanye West, Ghostface, and Joe Budden. Optimistic about the possibilities, she hopes that her project will mark the beginning of a beautiful new relationship between the unique worlds of rap and classical music.

Appearances: Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta.