“If there was a poster child for every young violinist who secretly wishes they could forgo Bach for Eminem, Clejan (pronounced Clayjj-on) is their man. The classically trained violinist is breaking down barriers to become one of the premier violinists in the hip-hop/ Trap space. 

Like a good boy, he did what his parents wanted and played what was placed in his hands at the age of 3. But 12 years later while living in Atlanta, Clejan got a taste of a musical genre he couldn’t shake. Trap music- born out of Southern Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap. The name refers to a place where drugs are illegally sold and was as far from Mozart as could possible be. He loved it. Fueled with a desire to create, backed by years of rigorous discipline, Clejan started to blend what he learned as a classically trained violinist with hip-hop. Calling himself ‘The Trap Violinist’, Clejan, who began writing his own original songs at the age of 10 and released his first hip-hop project at 17, now has over 10 million views on TikTok for his violin cover of Trick Daddy and Lil Jon’s ‘Lets Go.’ 

But covers are just one aspect of what Clejan does. His original songs have an intense rhythm and power all on their own, and have garnered millions of streams across the world. Its not surprising that his stage name (which is also his last name) was inspired by “Clejani”, a small town in Romania known for being home to the world-renowned gypsy musical group, Taraf de Haidouks, which has produced several famed violinists. 

Clejan’s own genre of ‘Trap Violin’ takes inspiration from artists like Lindsey Stirling and the late Pop Smoke. But the source of his talent goes deeper. His energy, passion and sheer talent is in his blood, much like the musically-inspired Balkan gypsies. Listen carefully. It will stir your inner fire.”

-Hilary Stunda

NOWVIZ Magazine