Kanye Violinist Debuts

"People don't look at me as a rebel," says hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari. "They look at me as a pioneer. I've got a whole new school of violinists after me -- it's so cool!"

Classically trained, Ben-Ari has already recorded and performed with heavyweights from Mariah Carey to Britney Spears to Patti LaBelle; played Carnegie Hall with Wyclef Jean; signed a deal with Reebok; and won a Grammy for her contribution to Kanye West's "Jesus Walks." But with The Hip-Hop Violinist, out this week, Ben-Ari finally makes her solo debut.

Bringing highbrow musicianship to the street, integrating everything from classical to R&B, klezmer to dancehall, and jazz to gangsta rap, The Hip-Hop Violinist is an amalgamation of Ben-Ari's prodigal talent and eclectic roots. "There's a saying: 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall? By practicing,'" says the Israeli-born Ben-Ari. "But I didn't practice to play for Carnegie Hall. I practiced to play for the hood."

The daughter of classical musicians, Ben-Ari caught the attention of violin virtuoso Isaac Stern. When Ben-Ari was twelve, Stern's foundation presented her with a violin -- one she bowed while landing first place in a series of music competitions. But, even at a young age, Ben-Ari knew the classical scene was not for her. "The whole time, I knew I wasn't going to be a classical violinist," she explains. "I didn't know what I wanted to be. I was really good with the violin. It was fun playing so fast on the instrument -- almost like a sport. But I wasn't feeling the orchestra thing."