I watched history unfold at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on Friday (Sept. 19), and let’s just say trap music never looked more regal. Grand Marnier and multi-platinum rapper, Future, transformed BAM’s historic Howard Gilman Opera House into a stage where Hip-Hop, ballet, and high fashion collided in celebration of his 2015 album Dirty Sprite 2.
DS2 Remixed: The Ballet was curated to perfection as a one-night-only spectacle reimagining Future’s triple-platinum album, through the lens of Emmy Award-winner Ebony Williams’ choreography and LaQuan Smith’s couture designs. As a Black woman who’s never stepped foot in a ballet recital — or could hardly name more than one Black ballerina beyond Misty Copeland — I felt emotional watching a stage filled with world-class Black and brown ballerinas breaking the invisible traditional barriers of classical dance.
The production saw album classics like “Real Sisters,” “Trap Ni**as,” and “I Serve the Bass” paired with pliés, pirouettes, and a few sophisticated twerks, as the ballerinas moved with much grit and grace. Backed by a live orchestra and Future’s right-hand man, DJ Esco, the night struck the perfect balance of elegance and bass.
When Future took the stage for hits like “Commas” and “Rich $ex,” the BAM transformed into a trap cathedral. His performance in the airy theater created an atmosphere that underscored the fact that Hip-Hop can be high art and worthy of existing beyond the clubs and charts — and in more opera houses.
“I was excited to be a part of this project because it represented everything I love about choreography—honoring tradition while breaking boundaries,” Williams told VIBE. “When Grand Marnier approached me, their vision immediately resonated with my own: blending a strong classical foundation with bold, unexpected layers.” Having worked with Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Rihanna, and countless others, Williams made it clear that her goal was “to honor the structure and discipline of ballet while infusing it with the energy and rhythm of Future’s music, the balance of respecting tradition without being confined by it.”
That truth was made clear by Misty Copeland, who sat front row, embodying the moment’s weight. The legendary and exceptional Black ballerina radiated pure joy and admiration as she witnessed more minority dancers furthering the evolution of classical dance.
Grand Marnier
Although The Ballet was a one-of-a-kind event, Hip-Hop’s flirtation with “classy” spaces didn’t start with ballet. Rappers have been claiming sophisticated stages for years, like when A Boogie wit da Hoodie flipped the script with Audiomack’s Trap Symphony series and Big Sean linked up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Even Chief Keef made headlines in 2018 with a viral performance accompanied by live strings. Common graced stages alongside orchestras from Chicago to Houston. Gucci Mane once transformed his Road to 1017 concert into a symphonic journey, while JAY-Z performed with full orchestras at Carnegie Hall and London’s Royal Albert Hall. Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 Kennedy Center performance remains a blueprint, with Jeezy, Killer Mike, and Rick Ross all venturing into orchestral territory since.
Most recently, Clipse took the stage at the Vatican. Yes, thee Vatican.
And the list doesn’t stop there. Nas, Cypress Hill, Pharrell, will.i.am, Nelly, Wyclef, Migos, Metro Boomin, Ye, and countless others have rightfully claimed space in classical realms, while collectives like The Illharmonic Orchestra and The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience have been pushing this fusion forward for years.
Then there’s Trinity Joy, the Detroit native famously known as the “Trapperina,” who has taken TikTok by storm with her inventive “Trapllet,” a collision of ballet and trap music that has captivated millions. Her viral videos, including one where she pirouettes and krumps to GloRilla and Cardi B’s “Tomorrow 2,” prove that the next generation is already living at this intersection of Hip-Hop and classical dance.
A girl who once called herself a “ballerina from the ghetto who dances to Durk’s music” is now leading a movement that refuses to be boxed in by tradition.
The recent shift of rappers seeking visibility beyond Madison Square Garden and stadiums raises a deeper question: Why? Now, we’re not here to critique the answer, but it does spark a conversation about the desire to belong or the need to prove the genre’s worthiness in these traditionally “highbrow” spaces. One thing is clear, though: Hip-Hop is every bit as much high art as anything else gracing those stages.
What I witnessed at BAM wasn’t just entertainment or another marketing ploy (because there’s a lot of that happening), it was reclamation. The evening showed just how much Hip-Hop belongs in every corner of culture, from the block to the ballet. Seeing Future’s DS2 reimagined with pointe shoes and couture was proof that our music and our stories will always elevate and demand a place in spaces that once said “no.”
On this night in particular night, that “no” turned into a standing ovation.
Grand Marnier
