in: News
Where to buy Charity Starts At Home [Updated 10/05]
The following stores all have stocked copies for street date. We'll be adding cities and stores to this list as they come in. If you do happen to have a hard time finding a copy in your area, please comment on this post with your city and state. Thank you for listening.
Continue reading Where to buy Charity Starts At Home [Updated 10/05]
in: PAST EVENTS
Charity Starts At Home/The Wonder Years Release Party | Five Star, Raleigh NC
Come out and celebrate the release of Charity Starts At Home and The Wonder Years with Phonte and 9th Wonder at Five Star in Raleigh NC!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Five Star,
in: PAST EVENTS
Phonte & 9th Wonder In-Store at Schoolkids Records, Raleigh NC | Sept 27, 2011
Phonte and 9th Wonder will be stopping by Schoolkids Records for an in-store appearance THIS TUESDAY (9/27) from 12:00-2:00 PM! They'll both be signing copies of their new solo albums (Phonte's Charity Starts at Home and 9th Wonder's The Wonder Years) and we will be giving out FOUR pairs of tickets to their upcoming 10/23 show at Cat's Cradle!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Schoolkids Records, 2114 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27607
in: Photos
More of The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour in Charlotte
in: Music
DJ Flash presents The Best Of Phonte (Mixtape)
The Phonte mixtape to end all Phonte mixtapes. 70 tracks, 78 minutes, covering the past 10 years of my career all mixed and selected by DJ Flash.
For those who need a Phonte crash course, start here.
Thank you for listening. And if you're a long time fan, thank you for re-listening,
Phonte
"DJ FLASH presents THE BEST OF PHONTE" DOWNLOAD
Mixed and selected by DJ Flash
Continue reading DJ Flash presents The Best Of Phonte (Mixtape)
in: Photos
More of The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour in Charlotte
Some more photographs of The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour stop in Charlotte, this time courtesy of our good friend Stephen Charles of CharlesMedia.
Source: CharlesMedia
· By Stephen Charles
View this photo gallery
in: Reviews
XXL Magazine reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: XXL Magazine
· By Adam Fleischer
Praised for his efforts as a member of groups Little Brother and The Foreign Exchange, Phonte gets the solo shine that many have been waiting nearly a decade to hear on Charity Starts At Home.
Before jumping into the album's first verse, Phonte begins the offering's opener talking, promising, "I do this all for hip-hop!" before pausing and dismissing that thought, saying, "I'm lying like shit. I do this shit for my goddamn mortgage, nigga. For my bills." This sort of grown man, 9-to-5 approach has gained the North Carolina spitter legions of loyal listeners through the years, and it's the relatable outlook that persists on this album.
Continue reading XXL Magazine reviews Charity Starts At Home
in: PAST SHOWS
The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour at ND Venue, Austin TX | Nov 18, 2011
by Aimee Flint on September 19, 2011 at 7:37 AM · Comments
The Foreign Exchange LIVE
(Phonte + Nicolay) with Zol, Sy Smith, Jeanne Jolly & band
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 9:00 PM
ND Venue, 501 Brushy St., Austin TX 78702 | (512) 485-3011
in: PAST EVENTS
Zo! Listening Party at Era Lounge, Oakland CA | Sept 22, 2011
by Aimee Flint on September 19, 2011 at 7:04 AM · Comments
Zo! ...just visiting three Listening Party / Meet & Greet
Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Era Art Bar & Lounge, 19 Grand Ave, Oakland CA 94612 | (510) 832-4400
in: Reviews
Rawe Mag reviews The Sender
by Aimee Flint on September 15, 2011 at 9:48 AM · Comments
Source: Rawe Mag
As a life long Little Brother fan, I was beyond excited to see Phonte & 9th Wonder end their differences on Twitter a few months ago.Let's face it, Little Brother wasn't really the same without 9th--yes, they did release good projects as a duo after his departure but the merger of the trio birthed classics like: The Listening, The Minstrel Show, and Chittlin' Circuit, just to name a few.
With that being said, one of the first things the two did was help executive produce Justus League affiliate Median's second album, The Sender, out via The Foreign Exchange Music (FEMusic) and 9thWonder's Jamla.
Continue reading Rawe Mag reviews The Sender
in: Interviews
Phonte Breaks Down Personal Growth, Philosophy On Bringing Sexes Together Through Music (via HipHop DX)
Source: HipHop DX
· By Jake Paine
With his solo debut on the horizon line, the Justus League forefather looks at his family tree with new insights and an olive branch in Hip Hop's battle of the sexes reveals his key to success.
If you let Phonte tell it, he used to look outside of himself when making music. Now, the North Carolina Hip Hop pioneer looks within.
That key change has helped the emcee/singer evolve in the last two years. At 32, Phonte admits that his twenties were often a "me against the world" period in his life, and that he now feels ready to deliver his solo debut, Charity Starts At Home on September 27. As the title indicates, Phonte is celebrating an inward focus, on a record he quickly admits, "isn't for everybody."
Continue reading Phonte Breaks Down Personal Growth, Philosophy On Bringing Sexes Together Through Music (via HipHop DX)
in: Reviews
The Foreign Exchange at the Neighborhood Theater - Real Hip Hop in the QC
Source: Shutter 16 Magazine
· By Bluz
I had spent most of a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning shuffling back and forth between Charlotte and Lake Norman. Enjoying the warm glow of Carolina sunshine and the breeze of a windows down and wind in my face kind of day. I love music. I mean love it the way a hippy loves love, hemp and patchouli. So there's is no genre that I will shy away from.But lately, maybe the past year really, the Charlotte hip hop scene and I haven't been seeing eye-to-eye. There will be the occasional show that pops up and a few open mics that entertain at best but the true hip hop savvy scene from years ago seemed to truly be lost. Lost in the fog of commercial one-hit-wonders and Charlotte's incessant need to be trendy, which in my humble opinion, picked the bare bones of an already incredibly thin hip hop scene. Now when I say Charlotte hip hop scene, I'm talking the days of Fat City, the Room, The Graduate, Jeff's Bucket Shop and the like. So there I am, basking in the comfort of my playlist. It was full of cool-out music, Esthero, Sweetback and the most recent addition, The Foreign Exchange, and Im askin myself why doesn't Charlotte get more live music like this? No sooner than that question popped in my head, I got phone call from Shutter 16 photographer, Matt Pock, informing me that we were going to cover the Foreign Exchange show that night. I would have my question answered that night in a way I have not experienced in years.Continue reading The Foreign Exchange at the Neighborhood Theater - Real Hip Hop in the QC
in: Photos
The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour in Charlotte
in:
8 Best Moments of Hopscotch Festival (via SPIN Magazine)
Source: SPIN Magazine
· By David Menconi
This weekend in Raleigh, NC, an eclectic collection of bands both new and old, from Boise, Idaho, dream-pop up-and-comer Youth Lagoon to Dayton, Ohio, rock vets Guided by Voices, gathered for the second annual Hopscotch Festival -- here, we break down the eight best moments of the festival.
No. 6: FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Some years back, Phonte Coleman, the former main man of North Carolina's defunct underground hip-hop outfit Little Brother, began collaborating with Dutch producer Nicolay, e-mailing tracks back and forth between continents. That evolved into the chill ambience of the Foreign Exchange's 2004 debut album Connected. Seven years on, that frosty vibe has warmed up to a sleek soul-revue-style live band tight enough to bounce quarters off of.
Still riding high off last year's Grammy nomination, Foreign Exchange played a celebratory show to a friendly hometown crowd. Coleman is a triple-threat on the mic, equal parts hip-hop emcee, R&B love balladeer, and animated preacherman. But it's a gospel of good times that he preaches - when Coleman called for choruses of "Amen" and "Hallelujah," it was about having fun.
"I love y'all back," Coleman said to the crowd's adulation.
in: News
'Charity Starts At Home' Early Bird Pre-Order Available Now!
+FE Music proudly presents our exclusive early bird pre-order of Charity Starts At Home, the long-awaited solo album by Phonte. Pre-order your copy of Charity Starts At Home with the +FE Music Store and you'll have it first... Guaranteed!
Pre-order package includes:
-"CSAH" CD Digipak signed by Phonte
-"CSAH" MP3 Download for easy import into iTunes, etc.
Early Bird Pre-Orders ship starting Monday September 19. MP3 Downloads will be available starting Tuesday September 20.
Limited quantities are available, so place your order TODAY!
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER CHARITY STARTS AT HOME!
Continue reading 'Charity Starts At Home' Early Bird Pre-Order Available Now!
in: PAST SHOWS
Phonte & 9th Wonder at Cats Cradle, Carrboro NC | Oct 23, 2011
by Aimee Flint on September 13, 2011 at 12:39 PM · Comments
Phonte & 9th Wonder with guests Median, Rapsody, The Away Team, Halo and DJ Flash
Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Cat's Cradle, 300 East Main Street, Carrboro NC 27510 | (919) 967-9053
in: PAST SHOWS
Phonte & 9th Wonder at Black Cat, Washington DC | Oct 16, 2011
Phonte & 9th Wonder with guests Median, Rapsody, The Away Team, Halo and DJ Flash
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW Washington, D.C. 20009
in: PAST SHOWS
Phonte & 9th Wonder at Sonar (THC), Baltimore MD | Oct 18, 2011
by Aimee Flint on September 12, 2011 at 2:18 PM · Comments
Phonte & 9th Wonder with guests Median, Rapsody, The Away Team, Halo and DJ Flash
ALL AGES
$15 Adv / $20 DOS
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Sonar (Talking Head Club), 407 East Saratoga Street, Baltimore MD 21202 | (410) 783-7888
in: PAST SHOWS
Phonte & 9th Wonder at The Manifesto Festival, Toronto CA | Sept 25, 2011
by Aimee Flint on September 12, 2011 at 11:07 AM · Comments
Phonte & 9th Wonder
12pm - 11pm | FREE | All Ages
Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Yonge & Dundas Square, 1 Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario CA M5B 2R8 | 416-979-9960
in: PAST SHOWS
Phonte & 9th Wonder at B.B. King's Blues Club, New York NY | Oct 17, 2011
Phonte & 9th Wonder with guests Median, Rapsody, The Away Team, Halo and DJ Flash
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 6:00 PM
B.B. King's Blues Club, 237 W 42 St., New York NY | (212) 997-4144
in: Reviews
Potholes In My Blog reviews The Sender
Source: Potholes In My Blog
· By Francisco McCurry
In a better rap world Median would occupy a bigger chunk of the dialogues and debates concerning great contemporary rappers. Blessed with a golden voice, a sage's inclination for topical clarity, and a delivery as slick the frame of a '67 Jaguar, Median does the rap God's proud. His sophomore release The Sender continues his fly intelligent grown man shit for listeners needing music of substance. The album is a concise thirteen tracks of personalized lyricism blended over soulful chops and loops confidently removed for the experimental swag tendencies of his Gen-Y rap peers.
The Sender opens with Kev Brown's muted low-end hum on "Take A Chance" featuring Phonte. The song channels everything that made the Justice League such a respected collective in the first half of the aughts. Khrysis than provides that elevated boom-bap on "Bright Individual" where Median humbly pontificates on why his essence shines without all the bells & whistles of his materialistic contemporaries. The albums strongest moment is the futurist neo-soul swing of S1's "Turn Ya On" with healthy vocal assistance from Big Remo and Tay. The song is so cool The Most Interesting Man In The World would drop the pretense and do the two-step. Later the smooth 'notic of "Okie Dokers" has Median and Khrysis trading verses so skillfully, I heard "Otis" blushes when its sound comes on.
As has become common in J-League releases, The Sender does get a bit limp-dick in terms of production style and mixing techniques towards its middle. Yet, Median's album is a relief to the current rap climate where artist prop up personality for their lack of talent. It's a simple rap album full of quality songs and a strong identity captured most pleasingly by 9th's hazey textures on "Kiss the Sky"; further refined by Sy Smith's sultry harmonizing. The Sender won't be a critical darling or generate hits on the trendy blogs, but it's definitely better than 75 percent of the noise flooding the daily rap race.
in: PAST SHOWS
The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour at Fitzgerald's, Houston TX | Nov 19, 2011
Urban Limelight along with KPFT & S.O.S. Radio presents
The Foreign Exchange (Phonte + Nicolay) with Zo!, Sy Smith, Jeanne Jolly and live band
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 9:00 PM
Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak Drive, Houston TX 77007-2792 | (713) 862-3838
in: Podcasts
The Foreign Exchange on The State Of Things on NPR/WUNC-FM (Interview + Live set)
While a young Phonte Coleman was growing up listening to the soulful sounds of artists like Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan in Greensboro, NC, Nicolay Rook was being reared on a similar catalog of musicians in the Netherlands. That musical kinship drew Coleman and Rook to each other on okayplayer.com, an online hip-hop message board, in 2002. The two never met in-person until after they'd put the finishing touches on their critically-acclaimed first album, "Connected." Today, their band, The Foreign Exchange, boasts three albums, a record label imprint and a Grammy nomination. Rook has since relocated to Wilmington, NC to be closer to his bandmate, but he and Coleman continue to work through a long-distance relationship. Host Frank Stasio talks with The Foreign Exchange about the benefits of collaborating in the digital age and gets treated to a live, in-studio performance.
Listen now, or download below.
"THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE ON THE STATE OF THINGS" DOWNLOAD
in: Interviews
For his second LP, Median reunites two of local hip-hop's key components (via Independent Weekly)
Source: Independent Weekly
· By Eric Tullis
In the beginning stages of an undiscovered, underground hip-hop artist's career, the term "hunger" is often used describe the quest for industry exposure and monetary gain. It's mostly the equivalent of the "starving artist," a phrase more likely to be found in more rock-centric circles. Both terms denote the same thing, but connote two totally different agendas--the chase versus the wait. The rap upstart goes and gets, while the indie rocker makes and sees.
Almost a decade ago, Durham's Median illustrated that idea with one of his first recorded songs, "Two Extremes," arguing that he was trapped between the dualism of pursuing an audience versus making what he felt he had to make. "Can't sell my soul/ gotta get paid," he rapped. "Not playin' myself for my record to get played."
Continue reading For his second LP, Median reunites two of local hip-hop's key components (via Independent Weekly)
in: PAST SHOWS
The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour at BB King's Blues Club, Nashville TN | Nov 11, 2011
by Aimee Flint on September 1, 2011 at 9:21 AM · Comments
* * * EARLY SHOW * * *
Twenty 28 presents
The Foreign Exchange (Phonte + Nicolay) with Zo!, Sy Smith and live band
Friday, November 11, 2011 at 6:00 PM
BB King's Blues Club, 152 2nd Avenue North, Nashville TN 37201 | (615) 256-2727
in: PAST EVENTS
The Foreign Exchange LIVE on National Public Radio/WUNC-FM | Sept 2, 2011
On Friday September 2, 2011 at 12:00 EST, tune in to National Carolina Public Radio/WUNC-FM to listen to an exclusive live-in-studio session and interview with The Foreign Exchange on The State Of Things with Frank Stasio.
Listen online via http://wunc.org/programs/tsot/
Friday, September 2, 2011 at 12:00 PM
WUNC-FM, 91.5FM