When Ashanti Floyd, twenty-six, was a fifth grader in Tallahassee, his classmates laughed at him for playing the violin. With Tupac Shakur cranking out multiplatinum records, there were few young African American violinists, let alone ones traveling to Europe for classical music competitions. But by high school, Floyd’s gym performances inspired such bedlam that the principal had to shut down student assemblies.
Now the Grammy-nominated Atlantan is helping lead a rising wave of hip-hop violinists. His work has been featured on thirty major albums by the likes of Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Fantasia, John Legend, and his childhood friend T-Pain. Better known by his stage name, the Mad Violinist, Floyd and his band Symphony Crack are finishing up their first release, The Addiction. He traces the group’s influences to Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Dr. Dre, the Grateful Dead, Rage Against the Machine—and gospel (“Amazing Grace” is a childhood favorite). Asked the genre, Floyd replies, “Grammy music”—adding, “Hip-hop needs class. That’s what I’ve always said.”
DISCOGRAPHY:
YEAR 2011
LUPE FIASCO – The Show Goes On produced with Kane Beatz -Symphony Crack’s Matt Barrett on Guitar
Im The Best – NICKI MINAJ feat THE MAD VIOLINIST (produced with Kane Beatz)
THE NEW BOYZ – Beautiful Dancer feat Charlie Wilson – Produced with Kane Beatz
ACE HOOD ft T-PAIN – Try’n – Produced with Kane Beatz
Yo Gotti – On Everything – Produced with Kane Beatz
KILLER MIKE – Ric Flair – Produced by Symphony Crack & The Beat Bullies; Killer Mike – God is in The Building 2 – Produced by Symphony Crack & The Beat Bullies; Killer Mike – So Gloriuos – The Mad Violinist & & The Beat Bullies; Killer Mike – Burn – Produced by Symphony Crack & The Beat Bullies
YEAR 2010
JOHN LEGEND – Lay Your Head Down- Produced with Scar, KP, and Malay
LIL WAYNE ft Drake – Right Above It (Produced with Kane Beatz)
BIRDMAN ft. LIL WAYNE & Tyga – Loyalty – Symphony Crack’s Matt Barrett on Guitar (Produced with Kane Beatz)
RICK ROSS Maybach Music 2 – Strings produced byThe Justice League
JAMIE FOXXX – 15 Minutes -Co-Produced with Malay
TREY SONGZ – You Just Need Me – String arranger (Produced with Kane Beatz) & JMike; Trey Songz feat Scrappy Thug it To The Bone- String Arranger Produced by Kane Beatz
YOUNG JEEZY – Greatest Trapper Alive – String Arranger – produced by Needlz – Symphony Crack’s Matt Barrett on Guitar; Young Jeezy The Recession: “Word Play”- String Arranger produced by The Justice League
“Done It”- String Arranger produced by The Justice League
DAVID BANNER The Greatest Story Ever Told:
“So Long”- Co Produced with Get Cool 3000
SEAN KINGSTON ft. Pleasure P Co-Produced with Kane Beatz; SEAN KINGSTON – One Way – (Produced with Kane Beatz)
MARIO – I Miss My Freind – String Arranger produced by KP and Malay
YELAWOLF – Arena Rap Fiddle Violin player