Little Brother exploded onto the underground hip-hop scene with 2003's The Listening, a classic debut that won accolades from top tastemakers like ?uestlove and Pete Rock. When the group signed to Atlantic for its controversial follow-up, The Minstrel Show, it looked like it was primed to cross over from the underground to the mainstream. But the trio's stint on a major label proved disastrous, and the album tanked commercially. Producer 9th Wonder left Little Brother before the release of 2007's underrated Getback, for which the group re-upped with the independent label that released its debut, ABB.

Frontman Phonte, meanwhile, branched out as half of The Foreign Exchange, an ambitious collaboration with Dutch musician/producer Nicolay; together, the pair compiled an album through instant messaging and trading sound files. The 2004 debut, Connected, was one of the best hip-hop albums of the decade, a lush, seductive masterpiece that perfectly fused laid-back soul with thoughtful, introspective, melodic hip-hop. The Foreign Exchange shocked many people by picking up a Grammy nomination for best urban/alternative performance for "Daykeeper" from its 2009 follow-up, Leave It All Behind, which abandoned hip-hop altogether in favor of R&B and soul, focusing on Phonte's singing. This year, Phonte reunited with the remaining half of Little Brother, Big Pooh, to release Leftback, the group's fourth and purportedly final album. The A.V. Club recently spoke with Phonte about ending Little Brother, music-industry bullshit, and beefing with 9th Wonder on Twitter.

The Foreign Exchange played The Masquerade in Atlanta last friday and photographer Paul Abrahams was there to capture some of the magic.

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The school bell has rung and the lesson for today is Music 101 and it's not just your ordinary Top 40 heard on the radio. But, rather a duo whose eclectic and eccentric sound which fuses "R&B, Hip-Hop and electronica," earning them a rave reviews and the much garnered Grammy nomination. The Foreign Exchange consisting of Phonte of North Carolina and Nicolay from Holland, is more than a group with a funky name but the group to watch. With a new album on the way,

AllHipHop.com: Your last CD was in 2008, are you planning to release any new music?

Nicolay: Yazarah (a fellow collaborator) has been touring with us and has been featured on all of our albums. She is actually one of the first artists that we are coming out with on our imprint. We are working on a new album for The Foreign Exchange for the fall. We definitely have a lot of music coming out this year.

The Foreign Exchange's show at a sold-out Yoshi's Jazz Club in San Francisco last September was professionally filmed by a crew from Pandora for the Pandora Video Series. The resulting footage is some of the Leave It All Behind era's best yet! Directed and edited by Charlotte Buchen for the Pandora Video Series

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The readers of SoulTracks have nominated The Foreign Exchange's Grammy nominated song "Daykeeper" (feat. Muhsinah) amongst the Greatest Songs Of the 2000s! You can click here to vote. When the voting is all done, SoulTracks will post the 100 Greatest Soul Songs 2000-2009.

Enter now for your chance to win tickets to see The Foreign Exchange LIVE at The Masquerade in Atlanta, courtesy of SoulBounce and album prize packs, courtesy of FATS

Right now there are a couple of different giveaways going on for the Atlanta area in celebration of our return, on May 21 to The Masquerade, in over 1.5 years. We are looking forward to seeing all of you out there and best of luck to all those that enter.

Win tickets to see +FE live via SoulBounce

We're capping off our week of giveaways with something special for our Atlanta Bouncers. The Foreign Exchange is coming to town on Friday, May 21st, and we're hooking up two Atliens with a pair of tickets each to see the show. As folks who've already seen The Foreign Exchange live can attest, their concert is not to be missed. Phonte, Nicolay, YahZarah, Darien Brockington and Zo! break it down for it to forever be broke on stage. They'll be hitting the Masquerade and unless you want to miss out on a great night filled with even greater music, then you need to hit the show, too. To lock down your attendance, tickets may be purchased via Ticketmaster. However, if you're in it to win it, then hit the bounce to enter.

CLICK HERE to enter the SoulBounce & The Foreign Exchange Atlanta Concert Ticket Giveaway

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Win album prize packs via From Afros To Shelltoes

As you ponder the perfect jams for the cookout at Craig's house or the remedy to chase the "over due bill blues" away, we have the perfect soundtrack for all occasions. In support of The Foreign Exchange show May 21 @ The Masquerade (Atlanta, GA), From Afros To Shelltoes (FATS) will lace two (2) lucky winners with the following FATS Prize Packs courtesy of our play cousins at The Foreign Exchange Music:

FATS Prize Pack 1: Nicolay - City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya

FATS Prize Pack 2: Yahzarah - The Ballad Of Purple St James

CLICK HERE to enter the FATS & The Foreign Exchange Album Prize Pack Giveaway

The Foreign Exchange with YahZarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! and live band

Festival Pier, Columbus Boulevard @ Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123 | (215) 629-3200

During Grammy week 2010, The Foreign Exchange (Phonte + Nicolay with YahZarah) performed a short "acoustic set" at the 2nd Annual Pre-Grammy Brunch. Sandrine Orabona (cinematographer of Michael Jackson's This Is It) and crew captured the performance and sat down with the trio to discuss The Foreign Exchange's long and winding road to a Grammy nomination. Narrated by KCRW's own Garth Trinidad, and featuring Phonte, Nicolay, YahZarah with special guest Questlove of The Roots sitting in on drums.

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