New York's Nuttin' But Stringz were a genre-bending violin duo featuring siblings Tourie Escobar (b. 1985) and Damien Escobar (b. 1987), who played a dynamic combination of classical, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B. Raised in Queens, New York, the Escobars first began playing violin in grade school, and progressed quickly. While Tourie studied privately, at age ten Damien became the youngest student ever to be accepted at the Juilliard School, where he took classes on weekends, and eventually graduated. In 2004, they won amateur night at the Apollo Theater, and garnered significant attention afterwards, appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show, on The Today Show, and at the White House. Two years later they released their debut album, Struggle from the Subway to the Charts (which went platinum in Japan), and appeared in the film Step Up. That same year they also competed on the third season of America's Got Talent, finishing in third place. Afterwards, they performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Despite their success, the brothers eventually parted ways in 2012. While Tourie opted to pursue acting and other non-musical-related opportunities, Damien launched his solo career. In 2014 he released his solo debut, Sensual Melodies. He also authored a children's book inspired by his own youth called The Sound of Strings. His single "Freedom" appeared on streaming charts in 2015, followed a year later by "Get Up and Dance," which showcased his refined mix of Latin rhythms, funk, and classical. ~ Matt Collar