What do you do when some of hip-hop's biggest names label you as "The World's Greatest Violinist" and "the next big thing in hip-hop?" You sign a record deal. That's exactly what happened to Miri Ben-Ari - better known as the "Hip-Hop Violinist" - when Universal Records execs scooped her up after witnessing her flip the national anthem "Hip-hop style" at the 2003 TJ Martell Foundation Awards Event in May honoring MTV President, Judy McGrath.

Ben-Ari, who hails from a small town near Tel-Aviv (Israel), inked the deal after meeting with Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Music Group, Doug Morris. Morris became even more impressed once he heard the classically-trained violinist's demos for her upcoming album, and was acquainted with some of her credits that include writing, produced, performed and recorded music for Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Wyclef Jean, 3LW, Luther Vandross, Mos Def, Mariah Carey, Doug E. Fresh, Coca Cola, Nike, Joe, Dallas Austin, and many more.

The 25-year old prodigy said that at an early age, classical music was what her parents deemed for her. "My parents never let me listen to anything but classical [music]," Ben-Ari told SOHH.com in a phone interview. "Being a classical violinist is a big honor in Israel." But in America, hip-hop is the item of the moment, and Ben-Ari has adapted well since coming to the United States several years ago to study at the Mannes School of Music in New York. "Hip-hop didn't exist much in Israel," said Ben-Ari. "I listened to the radio a lot when I came to the U.S., and I gravitated to the music ... started jamming with [hip-hop] Deejays." But Ben-Ari says she was hooked the first time her ears fixated on the music and lyrics of two legendary rappers. "The first time I heard Biggie and Tupac, I was like ... Wow!"

But it was her chance meeting with Grammy-winning artist/producer Wyclef Jean that changed everything, and introduced Miri Ben-Ari to the world of urban/hip-hop music. The former Fugee member featured the violin wonder at his 2001 concert at Carnegie Hall that included other music heavyweights like Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Destiny's Child. "[After that] I started working with Wyclef a lot ... and the Refugee Camp," said Ben-Ari.

What ensued for Ben-Ari was unprecedented exposure over the next two years. She appeared on NBC's "Showtime At The Apollo" - for which she was later honored as an "Apollo Legend" - and BET's "106 & Park", recorded on Alicia Key's Grammy-winning song "Fallin", Wyclef's title track for his 2002 LP, The Masquerade, and was a featured guest with Jay-Z at Hot 97's "2001 Summer Jam".

Endorsement deals soon followed. The list included Marithe Francois Girbaud, Ecko Unlimited, Coca-Cola and Nike. Ben-Ari also appeared at high-profile events that included the 2002 & 2003 Trumpet Awards, Macy's Passport Fashion Event, the prestigious 2003 Grammy Brunch and this year's Christopher Wallace Foundation Benefit for the mother's of slain hip-hop stars Biggie, Tupac, Big Pun, Big L, Jam Master Jay and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez.

Ben-Ari's highly-anticipated forth-coming album, still yet untitled, is due out in early 2004. There are many expectations to live up to, including the link to Grammy-winning artist, Carlos Santana - who also incorporated hip-hop/R&B on his 2000 Grammy-winning album, Supernatural. "Everyone keeps saying you're going to be the next big thing ... the next Santana," she intimated to SOHH.com. But Ben-Ari says she only wants to "spread good energy" and "have a good time" with this album. "I want to share my music with everyone," said Ben-Ari, who plans on working with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Mya, Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott for the album, and possibly Dr. Dre, Timbaland and 50 Cent. "I want to promote music education. Many kids [have] picked up instruments because of me. I am honored ... I feel very humble to share my craft."
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The Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council has circulated a petition in the community of Hollis, Queens in an attempt to rename 203rd Street Jam Master Jay Street, where the legendary Run-DMC DJ was raised.

The council hopes to get the street, portions of a nearby park or Hollis Avenue renamed in honor of Jam Master Jay.

The process has not been without some delays. According to a report in Newsday, Randy Fisher, executive director of the Hip Hop Summit Youth Council, is accusing political officials in Queens of not reviewing the petitions due to a contested City Council seat race.

The council wants the petition reviewed and acted upon, so that the street can be renamed in time for the October 30 anniversary of Jam Master Jay's death.

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Last month Cappadonna opened up to MTV News, saying that he had only received one royalty check his entire career and that Wu-Tang never paid him for his guest spots on their various group LPs and solo projects. RZA disputed the allegations, saying that Cap earned at least $500,000 while signed to his Epic imprint, Razor Sharp, from 1995 to 1998. After 1998, RZA said, Cap was signed with Sony Music.


RZA says that if Donna has any disputes, he can go back and look at the books.

"According to my lawyers and the people on my team over these years, they say I've been one of the most foolish businessmen in the game because I treat my artists too fair" RZA said, defending himself. "I'm supposed to be sitting on mad, mad megamillions 'cause these niggas all rob each other in this game. I don't rob my niggas. In all reality, the way you gotta get on in this business is you gotta rob the next muthafucka, but that's not my mentality. That's not my heart."


"Any dollar that came to us for Cappa, he received," RZA said about the man he says he still considers a friend. "If anybody owes him money, it's Sony. Sony's his record company; check on Sony for it. If you talking about the Wu-Tang Clan albums, those were courtesy appearances and he got paid upfront for them. That was a courtesy to him, not a courtesy to us. We let him shine, but we paid him for that. He didn't just rap, it was like, 'Homie, here's a stack of cheese.' "

RZA said when he first heard about Cap's claims of being treated unfairly, he called his former rhyme accomplice and Donna denied the story. But when he heard it from the horse's mouth a few days ago when Cap was on the New York radio show "The Wendy Williams Experience" promoting an appearance MTV2's "The Wrap," RZA was a little upset.

"He was saying that he was driving cabs and all that shit and I wouldn't even share that business," RZA scoffed. "Whatever you going through in your struggle, son, that's your struggle. You made your own mistakes. Nobody made no mistakes to mess up my nigga. [Cap] made his own decisions, and the decisions he made wasn't proper, that's all.

"If he's homeless, that shit is fucked up," RZA added. "It's enough of us in the crew that have love so if he's in a bad situation he can easily reach out to somebody if his pride ain't covering his eyes. He reached out before to my people like, 'Yo, I need a quick 10 [grand].' It's a recession now since 9-11, so it probably got tight around the belt. He probably didn't prepare for this."

Prepared or not, Cap makes no apologies for his current lifestyle. "Now I do whatever I gotta do, man," Cap said earlier this week in Baltimore. "If I have to snatch a pocketbook, if I gotta go to the store and rob some milk for my babies, then that's what I gotta do. I'mma do whatever I gotta do, bite whoever I gotta bite, eat whoever I gotta eat to get mine."

For now, Donna has put the mask and gloves on the shelf and isn't resorting to cannibalism, either. He's still working as a gypsy cab driver in Baltimore. "It's called hacking out here," he explained. "I was telling my passengers my name is Hack Love from the Heavens Above, but they get in the car and say 'Cap.' "

Cap's new LP, The Struggle, is slated to drop sometime this summer.
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