+FE MUSIC RELEASES
Charity Starts At Home
''Tastemakers may have rediscovered this former leader of backpack-rap heroes Little Brother thanks to his neo-soul project Foreign Exchange and frequent shout-outs from unabashed fan Drake. But Phonte Coleman never stopped making hearty, soulful hip-hop that sticks to your ribs. Rejoining estranged LB producer 9th Wonder, he builds with Big K.R.I.T. and Pharoahe Monch, addressing strained relationships ("Who Loves You More") and sympathizing with unemployed folks ("The Good Fight"). As he puts it on "Everything is Falling Down": "Don't need a new style / Being dope is always in fashion."'' - SPIN Staff for SPIN Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
''Charity Starts at Home proves that none of Phonte’s talents are obsolete and he can merge all of them into one cohesive project that’s as much of a treat as any of his other endeavors, if not more. '' - Andre Barnes for AllMusic [Click here to read the full review]
''Though we hear Phonte say in the song's opening moments, “I'm a work-in-progress, tryin' to get better,” Charity Starts At Home clearly demonstrates that this “work-in-progress” is already very far along.'' - Ron Schepper for Textura [Click here to read the full review]
''Phontigallo’s charitable proverbs won’t impeach the current crop of glitzy media magnets, but then again, that Maturity fellow was never meant to be the life of the party. With a project that’s complete as four walls and a double layered roof, Charity Starts at Home is worth its market value and then some.'' - TC for The Smoking Section [Click here to read the full review]
''With his gloriously grown-up solo debut, one of the smartest, most incisive lyricists alive proves it’s possible to grow older in hip-hop while retaining your dignity. '' - Nathan Rabin for The A.V. Club [Click here to read the full review]
''Phonte reminds his listeners that while he’d rather carry a tune, he can still carry 16 bars a lot further than most rappers. Let that boy sauté.'' - Marcus Moore for Okayplayer [Click here to read the full review]
''With its substantial subject matter, solid production and tightly-woven sequencing, Charity Starts At Home does exactly what a solo debut should: showcases the artist’s skill set and personality all at once. Frankly, this disc solidifies Phonte’s place as one of the best emcees to ever emerge from below the Mason Dixon line—and with his consistent catalog, future releases are likely to only help the case.'' - William E. Ketchum III for HipHop DX [Click here to read the full review]
''Pulling out the crystal ball, one sees Charity Starts at Home on the year-end best of lists.'' - Ryan B. Patrick for Exclaim.ca [Click here to read the full review]
''Praised as a member of Little Brother and The Foreign Exchange, Phonte gets solo shine on Charity Starts At Home. 'Dance In The Reign' is a potent display of Tigallo's lyrical talents, and he also reveals sides of introspection ('Everything Is Falling Down') and storytelling ('Sendin My Love'). Sonically soulful thanks to a heavy 9th Wonder touch, CSAH is a reminder why Tay has been an underground darling for years.'' - Adam Fleischer for XXL Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
The Sender
''To sum everything up, it's really great to see Median back with a project that appears to be well planned out. Median's flow is solid, the production is solid and the features a solid--all things that are kind of rare in the musical days of our lives. '' - for Rawe Mag [Click here to read the full review]
''The album is a concise thirteen tracks of personalized lyricism blended over soulful chops and loops confidently removed from the experimental swag tendencies of his Gen-Y rap peers.'' - Francisco McCurry for Potholes In My Blog [Click here to read the full review]
Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
''All in all, it's a great primer for listeners not yet familiar with the band's music, with songs primarily taken from 2008's Leave It All Behind and 2010's Authenticity. The release also gets high marks for presentation, with the deluxe, large-format package housing the CD and DVD plus a full-colour booklet featuring photos and lyrics to the two new songs. '' - Ron Schepper for Textura [Click here to read the full review]
''Recorded this past February at Durham's Sound Pure Studios in front of an audience of 40 fortunate fans, the CD/ DVD package is an intimate, scaled-down performance of several selections from The Foreign Exchange's entire catalog, exemplifying the magic that can happen when a band handles its music and career with care.'' - Eric Tullis for Independent Weekly [Click here to read the full review]
''Dear Friends is the sight and sound of a group of talented and versatile musicians playing with its already fantastic sound for a confident, relaxed set of their trademark sophisticated soul.'' - Craig Jenkins for Prefixmag [Click here to read the full review]
''A must-have for established fans and quality enough to draw in new ones, this digipak encapsulates their appeal, substitutes finesse for flash and showcases what makes The Foreign Exchange so Dear to discriminating listeners. Enthusiastically Recommended. '' - Melody Charles for SoulTracks [Click here to read the full review]
''The Foreign Exchange has mastered the relationship with their fans, delivering a product that is worth your hard-earned scratch.'' - The Mixtape Monster for The Mixtape Monster [Click here to read the full review]
''Live music moves me in ways that is very hard to describe. The intimate connection between artists and fans leaves the impression that they wrote the song, just for you. Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange does exactly that. This may be the best letter I've ever heard.'' - Nekeya O'Connor for ThisIsRealMusic.com [Click here to read the full review]
Authenticity
''The Foreign Exchange go from strength to strength, and this is one of my albums of the year.'' - for Oh Drat [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity documents The Foreign Exchange's still-continuing drive towards defining itself, and one expects that the next chapter might very well find the group inhabiting a vastly different place from the one captured on Authenticity. '' - Ron Schepper for Textura [Click here to read the full review]
''With Authenticity, they have further expanded their sound to include elements of blues, folk and country with equal amounts of love and respect. Their sound is a constant evolution of ideas from the classically trained and experimental Nicolay and the American R&B and hip-hop sensibilities of Phonte that never fails to surprise with its complexity and beauty.'' - Norman Mayers for Nu-Soul Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
''The Netherlands to North Carolina never felt so close together.'' - Scotty Pippen for URB [Click here to read the full review]
''A work of hushed intimacy and unabashed romanticism that uses synthesizers to create incongruously organic, natural-sounding grown-folks R&B.'' - Nathan Rabin for The A.V. Club [Click here to read the full review]
''Clocking in at 38 minutes, Phonte and Nicolay (aka the 21st Century indie version of The System) have created an album that many have tried their entire careers to make. By questioning the genuineness of romantic relationships (some may call it cynicism), Phonte and Nicolay have made the personal universal. Quite an accomplishment.'' - Stephen Johnson for New York Amsterdam News [Click here to read the full review]
''The team of Phonté Coleman and Nicolay continue on their foray of making beautiful soul music with a sound similar to their last album, the heralded Leave It All Behind.'' - for The Napster Blog [Click here to read the full review]
''Where Leave It All Behind was an ode to being in love, Authenticity trafficks in stories of exhaustion, resignation, and quiet, mannered desperation that find the group exploring new musical territories.'' - Craig Jenkins for Potholes In My Blog [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity amply lives up to the high expectations created by previous Foreign Exchange releases. It’s easy to forget that it’s only the group’s third release, given how highly revered they are on the indie soul scene. When you consider how much Nic and Phonte’s music has developed over the course of those three albums, Authenticity is nothing short of outstanding.'' - for SoulCuts [Click here to read the full review]
''The Foreign Exchange have made yet another formidable entry into their catalog, seemingly impervious to outside forces in a genre of music that’s got a hard-on for conformity. '' - Sean Kantrowitz for Okayplayer [Click here to read the full review]
''An adult contemporary record that is actually musically and emotionally sophisticated in the vein of Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, and Everything But the Girl (...), cementing the Foreign Exchange as one of the artists at the forefront of contemporary R&B's avant-garde.'' - Tal Rosenberg for Pitchfork [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity is a concise, cohesive effort that finds The Foreign Exchange again successfully pushing the boundaries of R&B, soul, electronic music, and hip-hop.'' - Andrew Martin for Prefix Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
''The third chapter in The Foreign Exchange's saga does what any good page-turning novel does--it engrosses you in a tale, then just when you think you have everything figured out and know what's going to happen next, the plot twists, throwing you for a loop. Authenticity is the latest twist for The Foreign Exchange, and their musical story is only getting juicier. '' - Butta for SoulBounce [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity is a must-buy for R&B fans, not to mention one of the most musically pleasing examples of international relations.'' - Kelsey Miller for Live Music Guide [Click here to read the full review]
''During the entire set Nicolay provides Phonte the perfect platform for him to talk about the ups and downs of love which allows “Authenticity” to serve as another reminder of how well these two work together. '' - Kil for The Couch Sessions [Click here to read the full review]
''If you’ve loved or even been deep in like, this album will resonate with you beyond some comparison of albums or desire for the familiar. Experiences like this album are why The Foreign Exchange Music group is my currently my favorite musical brand right now and for the foreseeable future. In a time where folks aren’t talking musical chances because the dollar has trumped expression, and being hot is more important than being good, Authenticity stands out just like the leaf on the album cover.'' - Saule Wright for Soulections.com [Click here to read the full review]
''With their third album and second full soul offering continues to show Phonte’s harmonic prowess and Nicolay’s versatility.'' - Bunneh3000 for Blogcritics Music [Click here to read the full review]
''Breakups are the worst; but whether you’re fresh out of a split or still living in a relationship that ended months or years ago, being authentic to yourself can help get you through it. With their combo of lucid lyrics and matching instrumentals, Foreign Exchange can show you how.'' - William Ketchum for The Well Versed [Click here to read the full review]
''Nicolay and Phonte have released another certified classic that will surely be regarded as one of, if not the, best release of 2010.'' - Soul UK for Soul UK [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity is the music that represents the love of our generation, and we have plenty of love to give, despite what previous generations may think.'' - for Rawemag [Click here to read the full review]
''Ultimately, Authenticity showcases the individual and collective growth of The Foreign Exchange. Dutch producer Nicolay is known for his dense and sleek recordings, but here he strips his sound, leaving room for Phonte’s burgeoning abilities as a songwriter and composer. The duo’s new album won’t help you find love, but it could help you stay in it.'' - Marcus J. Moore for Washington City Paper [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity, is a love letter, but one told in reverse, and one that sees no point in sparing feelings.'' - Rebecca Haithcoat for LA Weekly [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity is unadulterated truth, innocent candor and sheer genius.'' - Nekeya O'Connor for ThisIsRealMusic [Click here to read the full review]
''More moody, modern R&B that sounds like nothing else and reveals remarkable depth, Authenticity is neither an everyday nor an every-day album, unless playing it is necessary for the sake of convalescence. '' - Andy Kellman for allmusic [Click here to read the full review]
''Authenticity's uniquely autumn atmosphere, matter-of-fact vocals, and august, love weary lyricism invites travellers into yet another magical world orbiting in FE's ever-expanding electro-soul universe.'' - L. Michael Gipson for SoulTracks [Click here to read the full review]
SunStorm
''Much praise to Zo! and The Foreign Exchange crew for giving us another positive and community-spirited recording refreshingly free of misogyny and hate. '' - Ron Schepper for Textura [Click here to read the full review]
''With SunStorm, Zo! successfully marries his aesthetic to The Foreign Exchange's for a project that is as seamless as it is timeless.'' - Marcus J. Moore for Washington City Paper [Click here to read the full review]
''With a wide range of energies, moods, and tempos, Zo! has delivered a home run of soul that should be celebrated. Highly recommended.'' - B.J. Bunneh Brown for SoulTracks [Click here to read the full review]
''This is true music, and Zo! has revealed himself as a musician of the highest order.'' - Norman Mayers for Nu-Soul Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
''Though it's clear that his musical influences are vast, Zo! manages to craft a sound that is distinctly his own. So sit back, relax and prepare to be taken on the best musical ride your ears will take all year. '' - Ivory for SoulBounce [Click here to read the full review]
''True to its title, SunStorm emits a constant flow of radiant, positive energy'' - Andy Kellman for allmusic [Click here to read the full review]
''I do not doubt that this album will make it to the top of many a year-end list come December, and rightfully so. I’d even go as far as to whisper the words ‘Grammy worthy’ … after all the Foreign Exchange have already made their mark there. I guess only time will tell, but if Sunstorm is anything to go by, then we have MUCH more to look forward too from Zo! and friends in the future.'' - for Soul UK [Click here to read the full review]
City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya
''Relaxed, contemplative, and cucumber cool in its approach to nouveau -80s electronica, Nicolay's Shibuya demonstrates why the Great Dutch is in demand as an indie soul and hip hop producer.'' - L. Michael Gipson for Soul Tracks [Click here to read the full review]
''Another unassuming gem from one of the most creative and increasingly chameleonic producers around.'' - Andy Kellman for allmusic [Click here to read the full review]
''Nicolay's Shibuya: City Lights Vol. 2 exudes the kind of effervescent joy one experiences when visiting an exotic new land for the first time.'' - Ron Schepper for Textura [Click here to read the full review]
''Nicolay captures the excitement of this faraway land like a child chasing a butterfly as it floats away on a gentle breeze. (...) No matter where you are, the intricate layers of Shibuya transport you to another place.'' - Candace L. for Okayplayer [Click here to read the full review]
''Nicolay's new found vision is a refreshing journey of live instrumentation and programmed drum beats.'' - Landon A. for URB Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
''I encourage you to listen to City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya and allow Nicolay to transport you into another level of collective creativity.'' - Fave for SoulBounce [Click here to read the full review]
''The 15-track LP showcases a highly finessed producer who continues to grow.'' - Eric Tullis for Independent Weekly [Click here to read the full review]
''A well conceptualized project for mature ears that is indicative of Phonte's song-writing prowess as well as Nicolay's dexterity on the boards.'' - Eldorado Red for Redlightdistrikt [Click here to read the full review]
''We hear a new and even more musical side of Nicolay. Or maybe he's just letting us get to know him better with each subsequent release. Either way, we recommend buying City Lights Volume 2 right away, and visiting Nicolay's Shibuya as soon as you can.'' - Zane for Leisure Lab [Click here to read the full review]
Leave It All Behind
''The Foreign Exchange may have just earned an unexpected promotion.'' - Ian Cohen for Pitchfork [Click here to read the full review]
''Leave It All Behind can't be recommended highly enough and deserves to be considered one of the year's best releases, regardless of genre.'' - Ron Schepper for Textura [Click here to read the full review]
''It's rare that an emcee is so capable as a songwriter and it's equally as rare, today especially, that a duo with an excellent debut can follow that album up with something completely new and fantastic.'' - Andrew Martin for PopMatters [Click here to read the full review]
''With electronic and live sounds, emotional production and excellent vocals from some of the underground scene’s best, Leave It All Behind is an open and experimental take on hip-hop and soul, highly successful, at that.'' - Norman Mayers for Prefix Magazine [Click here to read the full review]
''Once the album’s final note has faded out, you’ll want to listen again, because in the presence of such impeccable chemistry, it’s hard to Leave It All Behind.'' - Jeff Harvey for Okayplayer [Click here to read the full review]
''Leave It All Behind is a concise and complete set of songs that brings out the best of both producer Nicolay and Phonte.'' - Andy Kellman for allmusic [Click here to read the full review]
Here
''Nicolay has tastefully managed to convey his love through (and, quite aptly, of) music by combining swirling instrumentation and inherent emotion in every track on the album.'' - Steven J. Horowitz for PopMatters [Click here to read the full review]
Connected
''The Foreign Exchange's LP is a successful blend of artistry.'' - Dominic Umile for PopMatters [Click here to read the full review]
''Connected is a sweltering, improbable 14-track symphony teeming with potent lyricism and subtle, lustrous rhythmatics.'' - Jamin Warren for Pitchfork [Click here to read the full review]
''Through a potent mix of battle-ready lyricism, falsetto crooning and European ambient grooves, [The Foreign Exchange] create Hip-Hop music from outside the box.'' - Jerry L. Barrow for The Source [Click here to read the full review]
''Bubbling with soulful, mellow warmth, Connected is both an exemplary program of neo-Soulquarian groovology and a rewarding conceptual piece about people getting along in the face of adversity.'' - Chairman Mao for XXL [Click here to read the full review]
Nicolay goes with a jazz groove
Source: The News & Observer · By Craig D. Lindsey
Nicolay Rook needed to do something.
He needed to do something to pass the time, to keep himself occupied, to prevent his musical skills from becoming atrophied. With Phonte Coleman, his singing/rapping partner in the Grammy-nominated, North Carolina-based, emo-soul duo known as The Foreign Exchange, working on a bevy of projects last year (including releasing his own solo debut "Charity Starts at Home"), Rook was looking for a project of his own. And thus, "The Shibuya Session EP" was born.
Released in November, the eight-track recording has the Dutch-born, Wilmington-based Rook hooking up with The Hot at Nights, an exploratory jazz trio from Raleigh, doing jazzy, occasionally avant-garde reworkings of several tunes from Rook's 2009 electro-soul album "City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya."
Continue reading Nicolay goes with a jazz groove
Grammy nominee Nicolay is now in 'Session'
Source: Star News Online · By John Staton
The last time the Dutch-born, Wilmington-based producer and musician Nicolay made a public appearance locally was about five years ago. It wasn't even a gig, per se, just a DJing session at the late, great night spot Bella Festa.
Things were a little different back then for Nicolay, who plays a gig on Tuesday at the Soapbox with exploratory jazz group The Hot @ Nights out of Raleigh.
His Grammy nomination, for Best Urban/Alternative track, from his group The Foreign Exchange's song "Daykeeper," had yet to occur. In fact, The Foreign Exchange, the duo Nicolay shares with Raleigh-based vocalist Phonte Coleman, was so obscure they were known to only the hippest of hip-hop heads.
Five years later, however, the Foreign Exchange has parlayed its Grammy nomination into a deeply devoted following that allowed the group to book its biggest-ever tour in 2011, not to mention allowing Nicolay to build up nearly 19,000 Twitter followers. (Phonte, a former vocalist with the hip-hop group Little Brother, has nearly 47,000.)
He's also taken quite the musical journey, from hip-hop to more of a soul/R&B/pop vibe with FE - even covering a James Taylor tune and doing a country version of a Foreign Exchange song on a live album - and expanding on his 2009 solo effort "City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya" on a live album with the Hot @ Nights.
Continue reading Grammy nominee Nicolay is now in 'Session'
SoulBounce Honors 2011's Rapper Of The Year: Phonte
Source: SoulBounce · By Butta
The Foreign Exchange could be considered a permanent fixture here at SoulBounce. We're not only fans and champions of their music but over the years we've formed a familial bond with the entire crew. Loving them is easy and when anyone from the fam drops a project, we're there to support. So when it was time for his solo debut album, it was pretty much a given that we'd love it. But we didn't know how much we'd love it, and Charity Starts At Home truly defied our expectations. When it came to hip hop in 2011 and who most held our attention here and therefore was a shoe-in for Rapper of the Year honors, it was all about one person: Phonte.
Tay rang in the year doing something that sent tongues wagging when he squashed his beef with former Little Brother member 9th Wonder after four years of not speaking. That reconciliation would lead to both artists working together once again on each other's new projects, which would later be scheduled for release on the same date, and an ensuing concert tour. A fiction writer couldn't come up with a more poetic storyline than their reunion.
Continue reading SoulBounce Honors 2011's Rapper Of The Year: Phonte
Charity Starts At Home is #14 on SPIN Magazine's '40 Best Rap Albums of 2011' list
Source: SPIN Magazine · By SPIN Staff
Tastemakers may have rediscovered this former leader of backpack-rap heroes Little Brother thanks to his neo-soul project Foreign Exchange and frequent shout-outs from unabashed fan Drake. But Phonte Coleman never stopped making hearty, soulful hip-hop that sticks to your ribs. Rejoining estranged LB producer 9th Wonder, he builds with Big K.R.I.T. and Pharoahe Monch, addressing strained relationships ("Who Loves You More") and sympathizing with unemployed folks ("The Good Fight"). As he puts it on "Everything is Falling Down": "Don't need a new style / Being dope is always in fashion." M.R.
Urban Orleans reviews The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour stop in New Orleans
Source: Urban Orleans · By Jocelyn Ninneman
Quite possibly one of the best (intimate) live shows to hit New Orleans this season involved a 7-piece soul-funk band, 2 gorgeous vocalists and 1 comedian, er rapper. Enter: The Foreign Exchange.
The show at One-Eyed Jack's last week seemed to be somewhat of an insider's affair, considering there really was no mass advertising for the show, yet every +FE fan in the Greater New Orleans area was certainly in the house. Even loyal Little Brother fans probably had no idea what they were in store for - the other side of MC/singer Phonte's alter-ego on full display as 1/2 of The Foreign Exchange.
After local hero DJ E.F. Cuttin warmed up the floor, the Grammy-nominated outfit, headed up by Dutch musician-producer, Nicolay, and lauded rapper Phonte of North Carolina (and 1/3 of Little Brother with Big Pooh & 9th Wonder), has included a rotating assembly of some of Soul, Funk and Hip Hop's best and brightest from YahZarah and Carlitta Durand to Darien Brockington and Motown's Zo, but this tour brought NoLa debut performances from not only Nicolay, Zo and the band... but the lovely and sensuous songstresses Sy Smith and Jeanne Jolly graced the velvet-curtained stage at one of New Orleans' legendary former brothel burlesque houses - the perfect setting for the sultry set delivered by The Foreign Exchange. In fact, the sexy packed house was demanding more even post-encore.
It's safe to say, the secret is out: The Foreign Exchange won the oh-so-difficult and ever-coveted approval of the New Orleans audience. And we'll be watching for them to come back for more...
Don't believe us? Check out the photos from The Foreign Exchange @ One-Eyed Jack's 11/21/11 x Sierra Hudson here.
Nashville Scene reviews The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour in Nashville
Source: Nashville Scene · By The Spin
The Foreign Exchange could not have picked a better time to pull into B.B. King's than last Friday. OK, maybe the showtime could have been better -- 6:30 p.m. is way, way earlier than the Spin is usually out and about. But in terms of timing the show exactly when The Spin was going to need a damn fine R&B show, The Foreign Exchange couldn't have done any better. While we usually avoid pop country at all costs, somehow we got roped into spending CMA week slobbing on the proverbial knobs of Music Row via some non-Scene-related freelance work. We felt dirty, we felt whorish, we had the most trite songs about flip-flops and Mexican beer stuck in our heads. It was awful. But one awesome set by The Foreign Exchange made everything all right.
Granted, The Spin being The Spin, we got there late -- having spent an ungodly amount of time looking for parking and trying not run over tourists with glazed eyes and small children running around. It was a pretty good reminder of why we never, ever go to Second Ave, especially on a weekend night when the Interstate & County crowd floods the city with their knockoff Affliction shirts and acid-washed jeans. We appreciate the fact these folks want to spend hard-earned money as tourists in our fair city. But good gawddamn, people, pay attention to where you're walking! They might not have street lights out in Bumpkinsville, but we do here, and the red hand means DON'T WALK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING STREET. And don't stand there looking blankly as cars beep at you. It's Urban Survival 101, folks: Avoid ending up at the business end of a moving vehicle. The Convention and Visitors Bureau really ought to include that in the brochures.
Continue reading Nashville Scene reviews The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity Tour in Nashville
AllMusic reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: AllMusic · By Andre Barnes
Phonte Coleman of the defunct North Carolina rap duo Little Brother wears many hats: singer/songwriter, rapper, and, occasionally, comedian. Over the course of his career, it's been questionable which he wears best -- the adult contemporary/R&B outfit the Foreign Exchange pairs Netherlands producer Nicolay's warmly acoustic, Moog-driven production with Phonte's swooning singing vocals, which is quite a contrast from his aggressive, loosely percussive delivery as an MC over the hard-hitting boom-bap production of venerable hip-hop producer 9th Wonder. After three tremendous consecutive albums with the Foreign Exchange, his debut solo outing, Charity Starts at Home, is a well-balanced marriage of all of Phonte's musical inclinations. Phonte the singer, who gravitates to poignant love ballads, and Phonte the MC, who tends to relatable perspectives of family life and the working class, coexist here. It comes across as naturally human with a comedic twist, something that Phonte has always been good at. His brash sense of humor on "Sendin My Love" turns the internal conflicts of a married man into satire, while Phonte admits "I do this all for hip-hop! I'm lying like sh*t. I do this for my bills" on the album's opening track, "Dance in the Reign." Phonte also reunites with former fellow group member 9th Wonder on several occasions, namely on the standout "Not Here Anymore" (featuring rapper extraordinaire eLZhi) and an epic sample of Rose Royce's classic "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." Phonte doesn't stray too far from swooning R&B, though, as he sings a sentimental number over Zo!'s smooth piano riffs on "To Be Yours" and floats in anticipation on the ethereal duet "Gonna Be a Beautiful Night" with Carlita Durand. Charity Starts at Home proves that none of Phonte's talents are obsolete and he can merge all of them into one cohesive project that's as much of a treat as any of his other endeavors, if not more.
The Foreign Exchange spreads the love at Masquerade (via accessAtlanta)
Source: accessAtlanta · By Rashida Rawls
The Foreign Exchange kicked off its Authenticity Tour Wednesday night at Masquerade in Atlanta.
After opening with "Connected", one half of the duo, Phonte, told fans that he was fighting a 104 degree fever and was high on medicine. But that didn't stop him from belting out each song with strength and beauty. While the other half, Nicolay, kept his eyes closed his body began to move fluidly as if the music had entered his toes, traveled through his neck and exited through is head.
The FE live band included Zo! bopping on keyboards, (reminiscent of a cool high school band teacher), with singers Sy Smith and Jeanne Jolly holding down the background.
"We are an equal opportunity employer," Phonte said, referring to the multicultural band, which received cheers from its diverse audience.
"All or Nothing" had folks wiggling, and with introductions out of the way, the band dug into tracks from Zo! and Sy Smith, whose velvety voice sounded like a young Eartha Kitt. All that was missing was a purr.
Phonte's soliloquy during "Ball and Chain" segued into "Don't Wait," and insightful tune about love and the dos and don'ts of relationships.
"It's so confusing," Phonte said of "real love" and "cyber dating." He said with online, you don't know what you're really going to get. He encouraged fans to look around the room and speak to each other because their mate could be right there at the FE concert.
"The music you listen to is a reflection of how you see the world, and how you see yourself," he said.
Phonte explained how the best surgeons want the best equipment, musicians and lovers of music should want the best as well.
"Only in music are you looked down on for wanting the best", half of the Grammy-nominated duo said. "Expect better and you'll get better."
"Take Off the Blues" had everyone dancing and grooving as the band blended Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat" into the song. But it was "Daykeeper" that sent the audience into frenzy.
After asking how many folks believed in the power of dreams, the band ended the night with a church-like twist to "Dream of Me." For an encore they offered "God is Laughing at Your Plans and "I Wanna Know," which had couples twirling and single folks dancing with imaginary partners
Nicolay With The Hot At Nights Take A Jazzy Excursion Back To 'Shibuya' (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By Butta
There are those moments in time when you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when something major happened even when you can't recall what you had for breakfast two days ago. That will forever be the case for me whenever I think about learning of Heavy D's death yesterday right when I was in the middle of giving Nicolay's new project with The Hot At Nights, Shibuya Session EP, a good listen. I tried to carry my listening party on, but that good listen turned into a good and ugly cry when the melancholy notes of "Inner Garden" hit my ear. That's not to say that the music isn't great, because this eight-song collection of new interpretations and arrangements of instrumentals from Nicolay's 2009 album, City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya, is pretty excellent. This half of The Foreign Exchange linked up with the three-piece exploratory jazz outfit The Hot At Nights made up of Chris Boerner, Matt Douglas, and Nick Baglio on this EP, which is quite refreshing and shows another side of Nic's multi-dimensional talent. These renditions breathe new life into the music from City Lights Vol 2: Shibuya with the addition of live instrumentation to the previous electronic landscapes that Nicolay painted on songs such as "Shibuya Station." Even casual listeners of jazz (such as myself) and those with ears open to all types of music (such as myself) will appreciate Shibuya Session, which is available as a free download to sweeten the pot for any skeptics out there.
In addition to releasing Shibuya Session, Nicolay with The Hot At Nights will be going on tour to support the project. Kicking off in January in their home state of North Carolina, the 13-date tour will hit cities such s Atlanta, Nashville, Philadelphia, DC, NYC, and Boston to name a few. Check the entire schedule below and make plans to get the Shibuya Session experience live and in living color.
Textura reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: Textura · By Ron Schepper
In contrast to the crooning balladeer persona Phonte Coleman presented on The Foreign Exchange's recent live outing Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange, his first official solo album Charity Starts At Home spotlights his hip-hop side. More precisely, the recording readjusts the impression established by the recent Foreign Exchange releases to show Phonte as someone equally adept at soulful vocal agility and smooth flow. The twelve-track album pairs him with guest MCs and singers (Elzhi, Median, Pharoahe Monch, Eric Roberson, Evidence and Big K.R.I.T., Carlitta Durand, Sy Smith, and Jeanne Jolly) and with a generous number of producers, too (Swiff D, 9th Wonder, Khrysis, Stro Elliott, Zo!, E. Jones, and S1 and Caleb all take turns behind the desk); in fact, a third of the album is produced by 9th Wonder, Phonte's former Little Brother colleague, who since the hip-hop trio's 2007 split has established himself via production work for artists such as Ludacris and Erykah Badu.
The album's hip-hop focus is established immediately when "Dance in the Reign" rolls out a dramatic downtempo groove as a base for Phonte's rhymes and Sy Smith's silken vocals. Sweetened with turntable swizzle by DJ Flash and soulful background singing, "The Good Fight" finds Phonte enumerating a laundry-list of everyday struggles, and the theme persists through "Everything Is Falling Down" in its lyrics ("I stagger in my footsteps and I don't even drink / I got so much on my mind, dog, that I can't even think") though some hint of salvation arrives in the form of Jeanne Jolly's beautiful refrain, even if her words don't reflect it ("It feels like everything is falling down"). "Not Here Anymore" bridges Phonte's two worlds in marrying his flow to a chorus that wouldn't sound out of place on a Foreign Exchange track ("Right where I thought I'd be / It's another part of me / And the world's so sad to see / that I'm not here anymore").
Continue reading Textura reviews Charity Starts At Home
The Smoking Section reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: The Smoking Section · By TC
Maturity and Hip-Hop go hand in hand like a hobo and an almond-shaped bar of Olay yet Phonte Coleman has made an earnest living from being that guy you revere as a professional artist-and turn around and get chummy with at your local pub. The past few years have been exciting for loyal disciples of the the former Little Brother's congregation as he has walked the unbeaten path to musical lore with his rap and blues hybrid, the Grammy-nominated ensemble, The Foreign Exchange. Success breeds regularity but longtime fans will rejoice that their man is putting his mind where his mouth is to spit lessons by way of the rap sage with his meritorious first solo outing, Charity Starts at Home.
Phonte stays true to his distinguishable form, weighing in on practical topics such as striving to be a better role model ("Who Loves You More") and keeping a spark in an otherwise good marriage ("Ball and Chain"). Copious platters of food for thought and duck soup aside, Charity Starts at Home is still an MC's MC's album, boosted by witty punchlines that don't require an isolated pause and sturdy instrumentals with symphonic balance from prime players like Khrysis, Swiff D. and the official reunion with 9th Wonder.
Continue reading The Smoking Section reviews Charity Starts At Home
The A.V. Club reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: The A.V. Club · By Nathan Rabin
Phonte of Little Brother came into hip-hop as an idealist fighting for the music's soul. After Little Brother flopped commercially with its major-label debut, The Minstrel Show, he became a pragmatic realist. In a characteristically subversive move, Phonte undercuts the posturing of hip-hop on "Dance In The Reign" from the new Charity Begins At Home by loudly proclaiming he's doing it all for the music, before conceding that he's really doing it just to pay the mortgage and the bills. The rest of Charity Begins At Home is just as refreshingly mature; it's an introspective album about the complexities, hardships, and joys of romantic relationships that go far beyond one-night stands and casual hookups. "Ball & Chain" explores the way the safety and security of monogamy can become smothering and claustrophobic under the wrong circumstances, while "Sendin' My Love" finds Phonte facing down and ultimately overcoming sexual temptation.
Charity Begins At Home proceeds at a casual, unhurried pace, with Phonte easily sliding between rapping, singing, and shit-talking in a manner that splits the difference between Little Brother's old-school grooves and the quiet storm of his R&B work with Foreign Exchange. With his gloriously grown-up solo debut, one of the smartest, most incisive lyricists alive proves it's possible to grow older in hip-hop while retaining your dignity. As Phonte raps on "Everything Is Falling Down," "I don't need a new style / being dope is always in fashion."
Okayplayer reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: Okayplayer · By Marcus Moore
September 13, 2005. The Minstrel Show represented a coming out for Little Brother, the North Carolina trio of 9th Wonder, Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte, even if political wrangling at The Source and BET stifled the album's national promotion, and threatened to mute what many considered an instant hip-hop classic. That's not to absolve the Southern group, as Little Brother's parody of popular black culture certainly didn't help their case. "Guess they wasn't ready for the real on the reel," Pooh quipped on "Curtain Call" from last year's Leftback, Little Brother's final album. Since then, the three men have endured a battery of changes. They disbanded. Then there was the very public dispute over the use of a single, with Phonte and Pooh on one side, and 9th Wonder on the other. The three eventually reconciled, although their Little Brother days were clearly behind them.
More than six years removed from that seminal L.B. recording, and Charity Starts At Home is a coming out of sorts for Phonte, known these days as the vocalist of The Foreign Exchange, which doesn't weave much rapping into its airy concoction of electro-soul music. Still, Phonte's proven this past year that he hasn't lost the propensity for witty wordplay and rich humor, trading bars with some of hip-hop's most respected luminaries. Maybe that's why Charity feels like another notch on Phonte's creative belt, a celebratory and triumphant debut for an artist who's already spent 10 years in the industry. But while other MCs might dump everything into their respective debuts, Phonte takes a lean approach, merging his raw Little Brother aesthetic with the smoother Foreign Exchange sound, resulting in a streamlined recording that leapfrogs between two distinct worlds -- complex lyrical compositions for hip-hop enthusiasts and mature ballads for grown-ups. This is sophisticated music for the adult soul.
Continue reading Okayplayer reviews Charity Starts At Home
HipHop DX reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: HipHop DX · By William E. Ketchum III
Just when listeners had fully abandoned all remnants of Little Brother, Charity Starts At Home drops. Since the North Carolina rap trio officially announced its breakup in January 2007, it seemed clear where each member was taking his talents: Phonte was nabbing Grammy nominations as one half of the R&B/Soul duo Foreign Exchange, Rapper Big Pooh manned his own solo rap career, and 9th Wonder used his production skills to amplify the sounds of artists like Ludacris and Erykah Badu while helming his Jamla Records. Optimism resurfaced when Phonte and 9th settled their differences, and suddenly we have Charity Starts At Home: Phonte's official solo debut, which features a third of its production by 9th himself. Thankfully, this record holds its weight by rekindling the youthful spirit from Phonte's Little Brother days and pairing it with the maturity from his more recent material.
Charity Starts At Home plays like a Best of Both Worlds for Phonte's career. He was always the more lyrically acrobatic member of LB, so it's gratifying to see him volley multisyllabic rhyme schemes and punchlines alongside the likes of Elzhi ("Not Here Anymore" ), Pharaohe Monch ("We Go Off"), and Evidence and Big K.R.I.T. ("The Life Of Kings" ) throughout the songs' collaborations. But as a married father and music veteran, Phonte's sung lyrics with Foreign Exchange have been very reflective and resilient, and his rhymes on Charity Starts At Home carry that same heartiness, with wit and technical flair to boot. "Sendin My Love" sees 'Te investigating others' fears of commitment when he visits a strip club after an argument with his wife, and "The Good Fight" dedicates itself to struggling to survive while chasing their dreams. "Fam in my ear all day, and they yellin'/keep it real 'Te, and don't ever sell out/ but how the fuck you sell out when ain't nobody selling?" the latter song quips. "To Be Yours" and "Gonna Be A Beautiful Night" usher Phonte into full Foreign Exchange mode, as he croons over subdued soundbeds.e.
Continue reading HipHop DX reviews Charity Starts At Home
Exclaim! reviews Charity Starts At Home
Source: Exclaim.ca · By Ryan B. Patrick
"Don't need a new style/Being dope is always in fashion," Phonte intones on "Everything is Falling Down" for good reason. Once you get past the disbelief that Charity Starts at Home is Phonte's first official solo effort, you realize what you're is going to get: cool production, that trademark North Carolina-inflected sharp witted raps and some "New Tigallo" by way of Foreign Exchange styled crooning. To the point, nothing less than what one expects from Phonte. With a twist, however; Phonte brings a newfound maturity to the table, an outlook framed by the dissolution of hip-hop trio Little Brother set next of the Grammy nominated success of R&B/hip-hop outfit Foreign Exchange. "Not Here Anymore" was just the teaser, the acknowledgement of Little Brother alum/producer 9thth Wonder and Phonte's partnership being stronger than ever. As expected, Phonte showcases his vocals (which grow more polished each time out). The short but sweet "We Go Off" features a nice Fatin 10 beat and an always welcome Pharaohe Monch appearance, while tracks like "Everything is Falling Down" wouldn't sound out of place on a Little Brother record. Pulling out the crystal ball, one sees Charity Starts at Home on the year-end best of lists.
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
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
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)
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
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.
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.
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)
Phonte: In My Own Words (via The Source)
As a part of one of Hip-Hop's most influential groups, Little Brother; Phonte has always stood out. Ask around with anyone in the know, and he is pound for pound, one of music's most talented artists. He raps as good as any rapper in the game and sings just as good as any singer in R&B. Now, the freakishly talented artist out of North Carolina is ready to break out with his first solo project, Charity Starts At Home, and has linked back up with Little Brother member 9th Wonder after a long hiatus. In this interview, Tigallo speaks on his inspiration for the solo album, his relationship with Drake, 9th Wonder, the future of The Foreign Exchange and Little Brother, and more.
Source: The Source · By Kazeem Famuyide
You shocked a lot of people by reuniting with 9th Wonder earlier this year. What exactly led to the reunion?
Me and 9th have a mutual friend in Fatin "10" Horton. Fatin is a producer in 9th's Soul Council production team and he's been a friend of mine since we were both teenagers growing up in Greensboro, NC. Through the years, he's always been a neutral party and always told us, "Look, whatever y'all gotta work out, that's on y'all; both of y'all are still my peoples." Fatin called me on New Year's Eve and said that 9th wanted to talk, and I told him to give 9th my number and we can hash it all out. He came to my crib on New Year's Day 2011 and we been rockin ever since.
The Foreign Exchange really allowed you to spread your wings as a complete artist, what does the future hold for that?
The Foreign Exchange has changed my life in so many ways. I tell everybody that +FE is me and Nic's 401K package. I love the craft of emceeing, but you can't rap forever. Being the person I am, I just love doing music. I don't want a vanity label, I don't want a bullshit clothing line, I want to make music until I die. +FE gives me the space to do that. I can sing til' I'm 70 if I want to. Me and Nic can be like Frankie Beverly and Maze and tour forever. You see Frankie step onstage with his white hat and them white linen pants, you know what time it is...lol.
Continue reading Phonte: In My Own Words (via The Source)
+FE: Checkpoint (via Stark)
What began as a friendship between Dutch producer Nicolay and former Little Brother frontman Phonte in a forum on Okayplayer.com, lead to the birth of indie-soul juggernaut, The Foreign Exchange. Now a decade strong, the group reflects on their evolution and their search for authenticity.
Source: Stark · By Cola Janneti
Since embarking on their collaborative endeavor nearly ten years ago in 2002, The Foreign Exchange members Phonte Coleman and Nicolay have been breaking down non-believers with their modern take on timeless Hip-Hop Soul music religiously. But for what seemed like an effortless creative front, the duo actually spent their first two years conceiving the foundation for their sound via non-stop emails, with Nicolay sending his production and Phonte recording to them. "Light It Up," one of those records recorded during that time span, became the B-side to "Whatever You Say" from Little Brother's 2003 debut album, The Listening, (Nic also produced the "5th & Fashion" skit on LB's highly-anticipated sophomore album, The Minstrel Show) while the others helped to deliver Connected, +FE's classic debut LP in 2004, without the pair ever meeting face-to-face.
That same year their first officially meeting took place at a Little Brother show in Amsterdam -- the meeting place coincidentally taking cue from the influences within the sound that we've grown to love. A sound where experimentation with Hip-Hop, Electronica, Soul and Psychedelic was the norm for the group, and long before the music industry began to accept genre-bending formats as the new standard. +FE even drew inspiration from everyone, from The Beatles to James Taylor and Prince. So as the underground buzz began to stir, the idea of creating an new album under the same pressures of the first, seemed a tad ridiculous and extra. So Nicolay moved to Phonte's home state of North Carolina, where they began to work on another project.
Continue reading +FE: Checkpoint (via Stark)
Textura reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Source: Textura · By Ron Schepper
Essentially "The Foreign Exchange Unplugged," Dear Friends: An Evening with The Foreign Exchange perpetuates the embrace of acoustic soul that was so much a part of the group's last album Authenticity. As such, we're a long way removed from the raw hip-hop stylings of the group's earlier work. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily, as the music on this latest recording is as refreshing as a warm summer breeze, and its appeal is bolstered by the fact that so few groups aside from The Foreign Exchange are waving this genre flag, so to speak. That the recording's sole cover is of a James Taylor song rather than something harder-edged tells you something about the mellow vibe The Foreign Exchange's courting with the set.
Continue reading Textura reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Independent Weekly reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Source: Independent Weekly · By Eric Tullis
Phonte Coleman and Nicolay Rook began The Foreign Exchange, as the name suggests, as an international file swap, with the Carolina-raised Coleman and the Dutch Rook building suave soul music through the Internet. But in the last several years, Rook has moved to Wilmington, Coleman has left Little Brother and the pair has made The Foreign Exchange a full-time, full-regalia operation. They've received a Grammy nomination, consistent critical kudos and, appropriately, a dedicated and worldwide fan base. In return for inviting them to our cities, they've invited us into the studio on Dear Friends. Recorded this past February at Durham's Sound Pure Studios in front of an audience of 40 fortunate fans, the CD/ DVD package is an intimate, scaled-down performance of several selections from The Foreign Exchange's entire catalog, exemplifying the magic that can happen when a band handles its music and career with care.
Continue reading Independent Weekly reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Prefixmag reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Source: Prefixmag · By Craig Jenkins
Over the course of three studio albums, the Foreign Exchange, a collective built around the core duo of former Little Brother rapper/singer Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay, has refined an increasingly austere brand of hip-hop/R&B that has taken them from the freewheeling braggadocio of 2004's Connected to the sophisticated relationship melodrama of last year's Authenticity. One element of the group dynamic that has gotten lost in the fray as the subject matter has grown up is the sense of humor. Onstage, Phonte is a veritable comedian, and his bandmates are his foils. That playful joie de vivre carries over to the music as well on their latest release, the live CD/DVD Dear Friends: An Evening with the Foreign Exchange, which documents an intimate acoustic set played for a group of friends and lucky fans in Phonte's hometown of Durham, N.C. back in February.
The Foreign Exchange has been touring extensively since the October release of Authenticity (which charmed its way onto Prefix's Best Albums of 2010 list in December), so Dear Friends finds a band in top form tearing through a series of hits, select numbers from individual members' solo outings, and a James Taylor cover, aided by the singing talents of newcomers Jeanne Jolly, a North Carolinian songstress, and actress, singer, and songwriter Sy Smith. While the Foreign Exchange's canon makes fantastic use of producer Nicolay's icy electronics on record, Dear Friends takes advantage of the acoustic setting and imbues these songs with a kind of breezy, almost porchfront vibe.
Continue reading Prefixmag reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
SoulTracks reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Source: SoulTracks · By Melody Charles
With the right look, a functioning larynx and some creative engineering in place, practically anyone these days can have a 'hit'; but the litmus test of legitimacy comes from live performance, since the indelible moments that connect musicians to the masses simply cannot be faked. And while there's nothing wrong with special-effects-laden, larger-than-life stage shows, it's the rapport created by the organic synergy between the artists and audience that makes Dear Friends: An Evening With Foreign Exchange such a delight to experience.
Continue reading SoulTracks reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
The Foreign Exchange pioneers long-distance music-making (via Fresno Bee)
Source: Fresno Bee · By Mike Osegueda
The story of soul/hip-hop group The Foreign Exchange is a new-age tale about two guys who met on an Internet message board, traded musical ideas across the Atlantic Ocean and eventually became Grammy nominees.
It's made singer/rapper/songwriter Phonte and producer Nicolay -- who will play a concert at Fresno's Fulton 55 on Friday night -- unlikely music pioneers.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange pioneers long-distance music-making (via Fresno Bee)
The Mixtape Monster reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Source: The Mixtape Monster · By The Mixtape Monster
The Foreign Exchange's (TFE) ability to interact with their fans has been an integral part of their success. From Twitter, to their own mailing list, to their first "grassroots" concerts in NC, all members of TFE recognize the importance of viral videos and word of mouth recommendations. That's why it was no surprise when I heard a while back of their plans to give a special concert for 40 friends and selected fans. Full disclosure: I mainly heard about this release ahead of time because I was one of the lucky few in attendance for the show.
Throughout their first 3 albums, especially the last 2, TFE has benefitted heavily from their fans ability to "put their friends on" their sound, music, and movement. Their fans, including myself, are known for their loyalty. We buy all the releases, download all downloads, share all the videos, and genuinely believe that TFE is one of the best groups making music now. TFE appreciates this, and it shows. They won't hesitate to retweet your tweet, or answer your questions about a release or video you direct towards them in a timely manner. They give you the digital download of the release you purchased on the release date while your order of the physical copy is in the mail so you don't miss out (perhaps the only group I know that does this!). If you are a vinyl head, they got you covered there too. It's clear that their fans are important to them, and they understand that in today's musical landscape it isn't necessarily the number of sales you make or fans you have, but the depth of the relationship that you develop with those fans. Case in point is their recent "Dear Friends: An Evening with The Foreign Exchange" DVD/CD combo that hit iTunes and their own theforeignexchangemusic.com site on June 28th.
Continue reading The Mixtape Monster reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
ThisIsRealMusic.com reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
Source: ThisIsRealMusic.com · By Nekeya O'Connor
Transition isn't easy. It's one of those things where you have to be willing and ready for all the nuances that comes with change. Me? I've never been good with change. It scares me. I like things the way I like it. However, every now and then, a change occurs and I'm alright with it. It doesn't have the negative impact that I thought it would. What makes it okay is its authenticity (see what I did there). The intention of the transition and it actually showing forth as it is projected helps me to see the bigger picture. The avid music head that I am notices every change, especially within my favorite groups. This brings me to The Foreign Exchange. At the release of their new album Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange, I had so many questions. However, upon listening to the project, all of my fears and inhibitions regarding the group were left behind. Rather, I don't think I've ever felt more connected with them.
If you've never been to an FE show, I invite you to host a listening session with some of your closest friends of this album. It is truly amazing. A little toned down from their normal shows, this acoustic live recording is exactly what FE needed to ease into their next phase. Having three solid and very well accepted albums, as well as host of solo projects, under their belts, FE Music group decided to share some of their best with us. I, for one, was excited. The energy of this intimate gathering is felt through the presentation of their music. The album opens with "Fight For Love" from their recent release, Authenticity. With the assistance of the beautiful Sy Smith, who currently tours with FE, and the very talented Jeanne Jolly, the mood was set and all ears and hearts were open. Now, this may be a little different for some listening to it who are used to the original group dynamic. However, I think the change in pace has only made FE's music more powerful. The album continues to showcase some of their strongest performance hits such as "Lose Your Way" from Nicolay's City Lights Vol. 2, "Take Of The Blues", and "House of Cards" from Leave It All Behind. Two extraordinary performances to highlight include "Greatest Weapon of All Time" from Zo!'s Sunstorm album and a special remake of "Something In The Way She Moves" by James Taylor. In addition to the live performances, fans receive two new studio tracks,"Steal Away" featuring Jeanne Jolly and "All The Kisses" featuring Paris and Amber Strother from the AMAZING indie experimental soul group KING.
Continue reading ThisIsRealMusic.com reviews Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange
City Arts Magazine interviews The Foreign Exchange
Source: City Arts Magazine · By Dan Digs
The Foreign Exchange's 2004 debut Connected surprised listeners with tight beats and sit-up-and-listen lyrical flow--even though North Carolina rapper Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay had never met in person. (Props to the okayplayer.com message boards for initially bringing them together.) As demonstrated by last year's Authenticity, their music now extends into R&B and neo-soul while staying true to their real-life wordplay and hip-hop roots. City Arts caught up with the duo ahead of the West Coast leg of their tour.
City Arts: The Foreign Exchange sound has shifted on Authenticity, but listening to your first album you can hear that those elements of soul and R&B have always been there.
Phonte: It's really an extension of what we had already done. We want to always build on our sound every time, but we never want to repeat ourselves. So with songs like "Sincere" [from the first album], those were kind of a foreshadowing of what was to come. There's really nothing that we did on [second album] Leave It All Behind or Authenticity that you didn't hear coming on our first album Connected.
Continue reading City Arts Magazine interviews The Foreign Exchange
Connecting With The Foreign Exchange (via Stimulate Your Soul)
Source: Stimulate Your Soul · By Margaret Tra
Grammy nominated duo Nicolay and Phonte make up The Foreign Exchange. With Phonte's rapping/singing and Nicolay's producing, the two found each other online and haven't looked back since. A soulful love story, their first album Connected was done all online before they even met. Between their Authenticity tour around the States, the man behind the music Nicolay took some time out to chat about why he uses live instruments when producing, his childhood dream of visiting Australia and the launch of their first intimate Dear Friends CD/DVD. Margaret Tra writes.
How's the Authenticity tour going?
It's been going really, really well. We're just having a blast; I think in general we are really excited to play some of the new tunes. Cause it kind of puts a new fresh dose of energy for our show. We have flipped things a little bit, we've changed a one or two things around. And as a result it's kind of like a brand new show to us. It's just been a lot of fun, we've been having a really good time.
Continue reading Connecting With The Foreign Exchange (via Stimulate Your Soul)
The Foreign Exchange & Amber And Paris Strother Of KING Sound Sweet As 'Kisses' (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By NubianEmpress
The Foreign Exchange are at it again. Phonte teamed up with ingenues Amber and Paris Strother of KING to give fans "All the Kisses," a song that is quite literally as sweet as a forehead kiss. With the spirit of a Leave It All Behind track, the beat contrasts just enough to create a sense of dynamism that sonically emulates the longing of romance. Yearning is attractive on a man, and it's nice to hear Phonte singing from a love-struck perspective again. He has a certain everyman quality that shows up as vulnerability in his voice, and that element is reflected here to great effect. Amber and Paris, aka "The Sirens," seductively reveal their talent throughout the song but leave you with an insatiable craving for more. It's almost as if their voices are delicate, delicious wisps of sound floating on air. Between their honeyed harmonies and Phonte's breathy vocals, you are guaranteed to feel a little worked up after hearing this jam. And don't worry, this gem from their June 28th release, Dear Friends, is available for free download, so you can add it to the mixtape you'll be making for that special someone after you hear it.
Pump Up The World - A Conversation with The Foreign Exchange (via kinetik*culture)
Source: kinetic*culture · By nubianempress
Brought together via the message boards on Okayplayer.com, rapper Phonte Coleman and producer Nicolay Rook have made some of the most progressive, evocative soul music of this decade. Their indie approach to the business and art of music has garnered them a Grammy nod, worldwide recognition, and a flock of die-hard fans. They took time to speak with me in the thick of their "Authenticity" tour, and had some interesting reflections on touring, the birth of the "Return the Mack" remake, and making magic happen.
Authenticity is a lot moodier than your last two albums, and you are definitely touching on relationships issues that people usually don't bring to light. Do you find that people want more happy material from you guys, or is your audience growing with you musically?
Phonte: I think for the most part the audience has grown with us. They have faith in us to pull through with whatever it is we're going to do, even if it's not as up as they're used to. They trust in us to execute it to the fullest. Me and Nic knew, releasing this record, that this would probably be a slower burn than our other records. 'Connected' and 'Leave it All Behind' were very much records that you 'get' from jump. 'Authenticity' was a much more subdued record, and really is something that takes a lotta listens to really understand. Truth be told, I didn't really 'get it' until two months after it was out, just because I needed the time after completing it to have some space away from it to regain perspective. One night I was up working and going through emails in the middle of the night and I let the album play from top to bottom, and I was like "damn, I get it now." Which is odd, we made it, but that was really how it was.
Continue reading Pump Up The World - A Conversation with The Foreign Exchange (via kinetik*culture)
After The Original reviews The Foreign Exchange at World Cafe Live
Source: After The Original · By Daniel Abelson
If you ever have the opportunity to see The Foreign Exchange perform, no matter where you are or what you're doing, cancel any other plans you have for the night and prepare for one of the best concerts you will ever see.
The first question you might be asking yourself is who is The Foreign Exchange? The Foreign Exchange is an R&B group featuring Phonte Coleman, member of the hip-hop group Little Brother on vocals, backed by producer and instrumentalist Nicolay. They met on an online forum over at Okayplayer.com in 2001-2002 where Phonte reached out to Nicolay after hearing some of the production he had posted. The rest is history. Since 2004, the group has released three studio albums and started their own music label. Their first album, Connected, was recorded while Nicolay was still living in the Netherlands, and Phonte was living in North Carolina. In fact, they have never recorded a song in the same studio at the same time since they began working with each other.
Continue reading After The Original reviews The Foreign Exchange at World Cafe Live
The Foreign Exchange - An Interview With Nicolay & Phonte (via The Loop Detroit)
Source: The Loop Detroit · By Kelly "K-Fresh" Frazier
The Foreign Exchange has long been a favorite of The Loop Detroit. Since the early days of when this site was Renaissance Soul Detroit, Nicolay has been a good friend and great supporter of it all. He's been a true school J. Dilla head. The Foreign Exchange machine continues to troop on with the release of last year's phenomenal album Authenticity. Recently, the band came into Detroit for a show back on May 8th at The Magic Stick, which I ended up DJing at too. It was an amazing show with a great performances and super stellar crowd. Beforehand, I got to chat with Nicolay and Phonte about the band, their childhood, when Nicolay worked with Wiz Khalifa, and all sorts of Detroit stuff.
The Loop Detroit: Talk about the live show for The Foreign Exchange
Phonte: It's really about showing people a good time. It's truly about giving a place for people to escape to. Just enjoy live music being played and the live music atmosphere of us all doing something at one time together. In the culture we live in, thats becoming less and less of the thing. Everybody's becoming more isolated.
TLD: Talk about the new album Authenticity.
Nicolay: We wanted to keep things stripped down as opposed to what we used to do in the past. We wanted to showcase and highlight the songs themselves and the performances. Keep it as simply as possible. A lot of people have really responded to the lyrics because on this album, they are really center stage.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange - An Interview With Nicolay & Phonte (via The Loop Detroit)
'Dear Friends,' The Foreign Exchange Have Something New On The Way (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By Butta
The June new release schedule just got way more interesting. Ending the month with a bang will be The Foreign Exchange with the June 28th release of the live CD/DVD combo, Dear Friends: An Evening With The Foreign Exchange. Recorded this past February at SoundPure Studios in Durham, NC, Dear Friends captures +FE in all of their live glory in front of an audience of 40 handpicked fans who were the first to see and hear this new touring lineup featuring vocalists Sy Smith and Jeanne Jolly in action alongside Phonte, Nicolay, and Zo!. Fresh from their spring tour, Dear Friends is the perfect accompaniment to their concerts for everyone who wishes they could bottle up the energy on stage and take it home with them or for those who've never seen The Foreign Exchange live. This release will also feature two new studio cuts, "Steal Away" by Jolly and "All the Kisses" featuring sisters Amber and Paris Strother from the overnight sensation of 2011, KING. Excited yet? You will be after you view a clip of the DVD of Authenticity's "Laughing At Your Plans" getting the live treatment after the bounce. Dear Friends is guaranteed to be a must-own for +FE fans and lovers of good music period.
DCist interviews The Foreign Exchange
Source: DCist · By W. Jacarl Melton
There's almost no question that North Carolina-based duo The Foreign Exchange love D.C. They routinely work with local artists such as Zo! (check Zo! and Phonte's humorous remake of "Return of the Mack") and YahZarah. Last year, the guys scored a Grammy nomination with Three Star alumna Muhsinah for the song "Daykeeper." And lest we forget, they've been gracious enough to speak with DCist on two previous occasions.
But if there's any other reason to like MC/vocalist Phonte and Dutch-born producer/instrumentalist Nicolay, it's that they make incredibly good music. Their third album, Authenticity, continues down a similar path blazed by their last release, Leave It All Behind. However, as they describe it, Authenticity is a little more stripped down than their previous offerings. What remains constant, though, are fantastic sonic arrangements and some quite adept songwriting which, for example, makes the "odd guy gets dream girl" trope seem fresh and probable on "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me." Regardless, it's apparent that a relationship born out of mutual respect for each other's work and facilitated by the Internet has blossomed into a full-blown musical operation that's garnered a worldwide fan base and critical acclaim.
Continue reading DCist interviews The Foreign Exchange
365 Albums A Year interviews The Foreign Exchange
Source: 365 Albums A Year
The Foreign Exchange are an extremely talented duo consisting of singer Phonte and producer Nicolay. After releasing their first album together in 2004 and switching genres in 2009, their latest album, Authenticity, shows once again great growth from the group. It's no surprise that it placed at #12 in our top 50 albums of 2010; "From romanticizing to reminiscing, philosophizing, glorifying, and degrading love it seems the album glides along on elegantly like its skating on ice."
In our conversation with the duo, we've talked about their upcoming projects (Phonte even dropped a release date!), working with The Based God, Internet as a promotional tool, Nic's passion for collecting vintage synths, their relation with film, and much more.
Continue reading 365 Albums A Year interviews The Foreign Exchange
The Foreign Exchange's RBMA Session at the Listening Room (via Culture Bully)
Source: Culture Bully · By Chris DeLine
Sitting in as guests of the Red Bull Music Academy, Phonte (Little Brother) and Nicolay--collectively known as the Foreign Exchange--participated in a Q&A session at Nashville's Listening Room Saturday afternoon. Discussing a variety of subjects with host Sean Maloney of the Nashville Scene, the floor was eventually opened up to the audience for questions. Alternating in answering, each artist revealed a variety of details about their upcoming affairs. Aside from commenting on their upcoming tour, their affinity for self-marketing and their rather liberal perspective on filesharing, when asked by a crowd member about how they've avoided such modern trends as using autotune or layering tracks with a slew of guest contributors, Phonte responded by making an important distinction. "Use technology as a tool--don't use it as a crutch." He continued, "If I can't hit that note live I'm not gonna hit the autotune just for that."
While Phonte and Nicolay went on to respectively participate in a songwriting class and production demo, perhaps the most intriguing information came during the Q&A. Nicolay explained that the duo were presently working toward the release of an "acoustic" album which would document a recent mini-concert that found the group swapping their typical production for such musical standards as a grand piano and acoustic guitars. Shortly after, Phonte went on to reveal (after a bit of prodding from Nicolay) that he would be dropping a solo release later this year. Tentatively set to hit retail shelves September 13, the album will not only serve as the veteran artist's solo debut, but it will also mark the six year anniversary of the release of Little Brother's highly acclaimed second studio album, The Minstrel Show.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange's RBMA Session at the Listening Room (via Culture Bully)
The Foreign Exchange: Bringing Authenticity to Music
Source: Urbane Perspective Media + Lifestyle · By Janeen Robb
The Foreign Exchange is one group that will make you love indie music. The duo, which consists of producer Nicolay and singer/songwriter/rapper Phonte, effortlessly blend Hip-Hop, Electronica, R&B, Soul and Jazz together to create their own unique sound. Phonte, who is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and Nicolay who hails from Holland, first met on Okayplayer.com. Soon after, they began trading music back and forth through instant messages until Nicolay relocated to North Carolina. The pair had an unexplainable musical chemistry that would soon win them many loyal fans.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange: Bringing Authenticity to Music
A 'Slight' Recap Of The Foreign Exchange's Acoustic Album Recording (via The WareHouse)
Source: The WareHouse · By Carolina Ware
This past weekend in Durham, North
Carolina, the good folks at The Foreign Exchange held a private concert
for around 30 of SOME OF their closest fans. It also doubled as a
recording for a future 'live' album that they plan on releasing for
their FANS to enjoy. I was lucky enough to be able to attend this event.
This is going to be my 'ramblings' on the event that took place on Sunday
February 20th around 6:00 P.M.
Unfortunately, I was NOT able to take my camera inside and NORMALLY that would put a damper on my personal spirits as I HATE TALKING ABOUT EVENTS without visuals. However FE had cameras ALL AROUND and some photos were 'leaked' out so I do have some visuals to work with. Before you say it, these are people I consider MY FRIENDS too at this point so I was not about to go 'rogue' and start disrespecting their rules. So no, I don't have many pictures of my own on this go around. I know I said I planned to take some. I got something better though. The experience. I mean after writing about their music here on the blog & seeing them perform, I STILL am blessed to have seen this event. So it is a MORE THAN FAIR TRADE OFF for me. Besides, when I tell you that there were cameras EVERYWHERE...I am not lying. When that happens, I will post some up here and link you to the rest. @ the rest of the photos coming out.
Continue reading A 'Slight' Recap Of The Foreign Exchange's Acoustic Album Recording (via The WareHouse)
The Foreign Exchange Records Acoustic Album In Front Of Small Audience (via Music.MyNC.com)
Source: Music.MyNC.com
Sunday evening, I was reminded of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, where the film's stenciled white rabbit graffitied around Brooklyn pointed the way to a secret performance from the fictional, enigmatic indie rock band Where's Fluffy?
But standing on Washington Street in Durham, instead of Fluffy, letter-size sheets of paper emblazoned with The Foreign Exchange's signature plus sign pointed the way to an exclusive, invitation-only performance from the R&B band at SoundPure Studios.
As the clock ticked closer to 6 p.m., a line of 30 or so people who traveled from as far as Cleveland for the event formed outside the Durham recording studio. And as the line began to snake down Washington, the air of mystery grew with anticipation of what to expect of the evening ahead.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange Records Acoustic Album In Front Of Small Audience (via Music.MyNC.com)
How I Got To Meet My Favorite Band in Five Days (or, An Evening with The Foreign Exchange) (via Scott's Groove Locker)
We highly recommend you read this excellent recount of The Foreign Exchange's private concert in Durham NC.
Source: Scott's Groove Locker
On a whim I submitted an email last week to an open call contest for a private FE concert. I figured, what could it hurt? I never win anything anyway. I would have loved to see them again because I learn something new every time I see them live, but come on: it's an open call to thousands of fans, spread out over multiple social networks, taking place five days after the call, all the way in North Carolina. Let's be extremely conservative and call it a one in ten thousand shot. This is a Grammy-nominated group we're talking about here.
Continue reading How I Got To Meet My Favorite Band in Five Days (or, An Evening with The Foreign Exchange) (via Scott's Groove Locker)
The Foreign Exchange's 'Authenticity' Gets The Theatrical Treatment
Source: SoulBounce · By ill Mami
"Authenticity" is arguably my favorite track from The Foreign Exchange's latest album of the same name. I am, therefore, very pleased to see the newly released video for "Authenticity" be given a serious, theatrical tone after being placed into the hands of director Matthew Cherry. Given the song's overal theme, it's to be expected that the translation of this onto celluloid would lend itself to melancholic overtures. I must say, however, that I am thoroughly impressed with the direction, acting, and overall presentation of this video. Kudos to The Foreign Exchange even if they were not nominated for a GRAMMY this year--next year perhaps?--and kudos to Matthew Cherry for a job well done.
Roundhouse interviews The Foreign Exchange
Source: Roundhouse · By Chinwe Ojielo
The Foreign Exchange are critically-acclaimed Hip-Hop duo Phonte Coleman and Nicolay. Their soulful sound has captivated listeners over the course of three exceptional albums, and even earned them a Grammy nomination in 2010. Redtop caught up with them last month whilst they were in London playing their first shows in the capital in over five years.
Continue reading Roundhouse interviews The Foreign Exchange
Gooddayz Magazine reviews The Foreign Exchange at Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
Source: Gooddayz Magazine · By Abdel Chaouch
Upon returning home from last night's Foreign Exchange gig at the Paradiso (Amsterdam) I realized that what I had been witness to was not only a great performance, but also a family reunion of sorts. Mom and Dad Nicolay (as Phonte referred to them) were joined by friends and family to welcome home their multi-talented son Matthijs Rook (a.k.a. Nicolay) and his band of highly gifted musicians and vocalists. Also contributing to the intimate nature of last night's homecoming was the venue. Percentagewise I'd say the attendance was about 50%, which is a good thing as it gave the audience the room to freely move around and fully enjoy the performance. As opposed to the crowded and noisy sold-out concerts that are usually held there! All these circumstances gave the evening a warm and even emotional undertone that elevated the entire experience that much more. The Foreign Exchange show also happened to be my first concert in 2011, and I couldn't have hoped for a better way to start the New Year.
Continue reading Gooddayz Magazine reviews The Foreign Exchange at Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
Lime Magazine reviews The Foreign Exchange at Cargo, London (UK)
Source: Lime Magazine · By Semper Azeez-Harris
If you are not into The Foreign Exchange or you have not heard of them then fix up! Truthfully I cannot carry on in the same way that smokers who give up suddenly become the biggest patrons of abstinence. It was only an introduction to The Foreign Exchange by my sister Tochi that initially got me interested.However once I had heard them I was hooked: once you go Foreign, you never go back. Over in the UK after a prolonged period away to promote their new album Leave It All Behind I got a chance to see them perform at Cargo. Comprising of the ultra charismatic emcee Phonte and the quietly brilliant producer Nicolay, The Foreign Exchange are totally sublime. Their sound is like some ultra expensive velvet as it caresses your senses to a brilliant level but live they take their sound to a whole new experience. Even though Phonte admitted they were absolutely bush wacked after five days of touring over Europe the energy, vibe and vigour with which they performed was off the hook. It was 90 minutes of pure niceness. The highlights had to be when they dropped what seemed like spontaneous digressing jams, that just fully exposed the talent of the whole ensemble in The Foreign Exchange. The group were professional, talented and a joy, it was a great night.
Continue reading Lime Magazine reviews The Foreign Exchange at Cargo, London (UK)
Brave Soul Collective Artist Feature: The Foreign Exchange
Source: Brave Soul Collective · By Monte J. Wolfe
Our Brave Soul Artist feature for this month are a pair of brilliant musicians/artists whose musical union has yielded some seriously powerful, memorable, soulful music.
Consisting of rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte and producer Nicolay, The Foreign Exchange came together via the online hip-hop community Okayplayer.com in 2002. After trading files through Instant Messenger for over a year, Nicolay (living in his native Holland at the time) and Phonte (a Raleigh, NC resident) completed their debut album before they ever met each other in person. The album, "Connected," was released in 2004 to positive reviews, and was praised by legendary DJ's such as Jazzy Jeff, King Britt, and DJ Spinna for its inventive mix of hip-hop, R&B, and electronica. Their sophomore album, "Leave It All Behind" (2008) found The Foreign Exchange much closer in geography (Nicolay becoming a resident of Wilmington, NC), but located much further from their hip-hop origins. On the strength of their exhilarating live show and several nationally programmed music videos, "Leave It All Behind" became the group's most successful album to date, culminating in a Grammy-nomination for the album's first single, "Daykeeper". Authenticity, which was released on October 12, 2010 on +FE Music, is The Foreign Exchange's third album.Late last year, I had the privilege of speaking to these two men about their work as artists, their influences, and their formula for creating such amazing material. I'm honored to kick off 2011's Brave Soul Artist features with an in-depth interview with Nicolay & Phonte of The Foreign Exchange. Read on, get informed, inspired, and ENJOY.
Continue reading Brave Soul Collective Artist Feature: The Foreign Exchange
JET Magazine's 5 Rising Indie Artists include The Foreign Exchange and YahZarah
Check out the current issue of JET Magazine (Russell Simmons on the cover). Their "5 Rising Indie Artists" list includes both The Foreign Exchange and YahZarah!
THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE: This collective, helmed by artists-producers Nicolay and Phonte, has at different times included YahZarah. The group's new album, Authenticity, came out in October and extends the percolating and idiosyncratic rhythms of 2008's Leave It All Behind. The band will tour behind the album in 2011.
YAHZARAH: This Washington DC native has been around for nearly a decade, singing background for Erykah Badu and others. Her latest album, The Ballad Of Purple St. James, released in May, is her fourth and most accomplished effort. Graceful and salient, YahZarah's music recalls the funky, adventurous side of vintage Teena Marie with the buoyancy of Minnie Riperton.
Continue reading JET Magazine's 5 Rising Indie Artists include The Foreign Exchange and YahZarah
TGRIOnline.com reviews N'Dambi and Zo! & The SunStorm Allstars at Black Cat, Washington DC
Source: True Genius Requires Insanity · By Marcus Dowling
On paper, a night featuring heralded underground soul songstress N'Dambi and local DC cause celebre with national trending aspirations Zo! (government name Lorenzo Ferguson) sounds like a recipe for success. The two artists represent the twin hopes for traditional rhythm and blues style in the 21st century. N'Dambi, a former backup singer for Erykah Badu, carries forth the Nona Hendryx meets Nina Simone style artistry of her mentor, music as art, art as music, a funky melange of rock and soul. Zo!, alongside his Foreign Exchange Records supported "Sunstorm All Stars" supporting cast is a producer, composer and songwriter par excellence, a little bit of Isaac Hayes, a little bit of Smokey Robinson, with a spoonful of Ramsey Lewis tossed in for good measure, a feel good sultry blend of adult contemporary music. He's not concerned with popping bottles, he's concerned with getting deeper into the heart of the matter. However, on this night in Washington, DC, what was drawn up on paper, failed to materialize, as a night with the best of intentions fell short of their destination.
This is not to say that it was a night that was without spellbinding performances. Zo and his Sunstorm All Stars are the best live act in soul music today. Having witnessed their live show twice this year, it's easily the best ticket in the genre. It has everything you'd expect from the more mainstream side of R & B, just not wrapped in a broadcloth of tawdry behavior. This is classic music by extremely talented musicians who know what that means. Lead single from Zo's latest album Sunstorm, "This Could Be The Night" is a sensual jam with a George Benson swing, meaning that for more modern ears, it recalls Montell Jordan's "Get It On Tonight," in that it's grown and sexy without being debased. The set features the ever dapper Ferguson behind a dual decker keyboard and organ, a consummate band leader, leading his charges through a tightly produced set that highlights exquisite artistry. Though Monica Blaire was not present, Deborah Bond's take on the 11 minute suite "Make Love To Me" was absolutely magical. The song is a moody jazz winner, allowing for a virtuoso female vocalist to improvise and reach an orgasmic peak under the blanket of restrained elegance. If not aware, it is the year's finest soul performance, and absolutely worthy of consideration for achievement.
Continue reading TGRIOnline.com reviews N'Dambi and Zo! & The SunStorm Allstars at Black Cat, Washington DC
Beatnik Online interviews The Foreign Exchange
Source: Beatnik Online · By Rob Boffard
Leave It All Behind, the second album by The Foreign Exchange, is a beautifully produced piece of work. Producer Nicolay and vocalist Phonte released the album in 2008, surprising fans with a lush, complex soul record. The album sounds as if it could have been made at a studio like Electric Ladyland or The Hit Factory, and the elements of its production are a testament to the work that went into it. Some songs contained 64 separate vocal tracks, all expertly mixed and blended. The lead single, Daykeeper, went through dozens of different mixes alone, and took over a year and a half to complete. This was a big, powerful, major league sounding album.But Leave It All Behind was not made at Electric Ladyland or The Hit Factory. It was made in the living room of an ordinary beach house in Wilmington, on the coast of North Carolina. There, Nicolay (Matthijs Rook), newly arrived in the US from his home country of the Netherlands, sat down to mold the raw material into a cohesive album. And he did it without anything that could even remotely be called a classic studio setup.
Continue reading Beatnik Online interviews The Foreign Exchange
Prefix's Best Albums Of 2010
Prefix Magazine has selected Authenticity among their Best Albums Of 2010!
Source: Prefix Magazine · By Andrew Martin
32 The Foreign Exchange: Authenticity
The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity, Phonte and Nicolay's third album together, is easily their finest yet. It's an honest, revealing glimpse into the complexities of romantic relationships -- a welcome change of pace at a time when R&B/soul is mostly filled with sex-fueled romps. Where Authenticity excels, though, is in Nic's experimental blends of synthesizers, keys, and acoustic guitars paired with Phonte's increasingly melodic and refined songwriting.
Oh Drat reviews Authenticity
Source: Oh Drat
Authenticity is the third album from the Grammy nominated collaboration of Phonte and Nicolay, and shows a further maturation of The Foreign Exchange. If the leap from their first album Connected to second Leave It All Behind was a revolution, Authenticity is an evolution in the Foreign Exchange's sound.
Continue reading Oh Drat reviews Authenticity
Oh Drat interviews The Foreign Exchange
Source: Oh Drat
After meeting on the internet in 2002, Phonte and Nicolay have made waves with The Foreign Exchange, both as a hip hop and a soul group. The lead single from their last album Leave It All Behind was nominated for a Grammy, and they recently released their third album Authenticity to across the board praise (check my review here). I caught up with the guys to talk message boards, sampling, leaving a legacy and more...
Continue reading Oh Drat interviews The Foreign Exchange
Textura reviews Authenticity
Source: Textura · By Ron Schepper
Just as The Foreign Exchange's 2008 album Leave It All Behind stylistically departs from its predecessor Connected, so too does Authenticity shift away from Leave It All Behind. Connecting the dots between the three releases, one finds the Nicolay-and-Phonte-led outfit moving from hip-hop to exuberant soul-and-funk to, on the new release, mellow soul balladry and acoustic folk. Ironically, such a seemingly safe move turns out to be the most risky: rather than courting new listeners with in-your-face exuberance, the duo opt for something closer in spirit to...adult contemporary? Yes, it's true, and most of the time it works too.
Continue reading Textura reviews Authenticity
Nu-Soul Magazine reviews Authenticity
Source: Nu-Soul Magazine · By Norman Mayers
The Foreign Exchange refuse to be boxed in. If you haven't figured that out already then you probably really aren't all that familiar with this outstanding project that pairs the production genius of Nicolay with the vocal talents of Phonte. On their third album Authenticity, TFE do not in any way try to duplicate the success of their previous album Leave It All Behind, but instead venture into new sonic territories. While Authenticity may be more downbeat and melancholy than previous albums, taken on its own merit it is a gorgeous and extremely layered piece of work that finds Nicolay and Phonte truly stretching themselves to their creative limits.
There has always been a touch of sadness within the Foreign Exchange's music but on Authenticity that aspect is brought to the forefront. Lost love, crumbling relationships and general love woes seem to take up most of the album's running time, but this sadness is also reflected in the sound. The album's first half takes on a downtempo vibe that perfectly reflects the melancholic lyrics. The best of these is the album open "The Last Fall", a dramatic and decidedly retro track in which Phonte declares "I'm never gonna love again." It is a severe departure from LIAB's more sunnier relationship outlook. Midway through the album delivers its highest points. The Darien Brockington assisted "Don't Wait" is a real stunner of a track that recalls the best of 80s R&B. Jesse Boykins III shows up on "Don't Make Me A Fool", which is the only time the album really goes for the hip-hop flavored soul that many have come to expect from this collective. But it is becoming increasingly evident that Nicolay and company have created a very unique space with the Foreign Exchange. With Authenticity they have further expanded their sound to include elements of blues, folk and country with equal amounts of love and respect. Their sound is a constant evolution of ideas from the classically trained and experimental Nicolay and the American R&B and hip-hop sensibilities of Phonte that never fails to surprise with its complexity and beauty.
Nu-Soul Magazine's +FE Music Interview Series Part 4: The Foreign Exchange (Phonte + Nicolay)
Source: Nu-Soul Magazine · By Arasia Magnetic
Fall is a beautiful season. It's that time of the year when all that was transitions into what will be. Lovers reintroduce themselves as the leaves decorate the pavement through a cluster of colors. And while all that surrounds us settles into its proper place, The Foreign Exchange reemerges with their third album that captures this transition perfectly. Drenched in love, clarity, anguish, and everything in between, Phonte and Nicolay bring forth an experience that is just as their album says--authentic.
Nu-Soul had the opportunity to catch up with The Foreign Exchange and speak to them about their new album Authenticity, how they maintain their creative autonomy, and the greatest lesson that they've learned from each other.
Continue reading Nu-Soul Magazine's +FE Music Interview Series Part 4: The Foreign Exchange (Phonte + Nicolay)
Nu-Soul Magazine's +FE Music Interview Series Part 3: Zo!
Source: Nu-Soul Magazine · By Keysha Hall
Lorenzo Ferguson aka Zo! is the epitome of the music producer. The multi-instrumentalist, former baseball player and current public school educator has long been someone whose music was loved, but whose face was never seen. With the release of his highly anticipated project, SunStorm, we get to see the man behind the music in a whole new light.
Zo! is a man whose music I've come to love over time. Not just for the incredible production, heartfelt lyrics, or haunting melodies, but for the realism and honesty that is conveyed on each track. His latest project, SunStorm, an autobiographical album that is the culmination of a musical journey, is his best work to date. While his musical resume grows and he continues to hone his craft, this musical architect creates feel good music for the soul.
Continue reading Nu-Soul Magazine's +FE Music Interview Series Part 3: Zo!
The Foreign Exchange continues its unmitigated risks on Authenticity (via Independent Weekly)
Source: Independent Weekly · By Brandon Soderberg
"Y'all motherfuckers trying to get that Grammy again!" That's Phonte Coleman--the songwriting, singing and sometimes rapping half of the experimental soul group The Foreign Exchange, impersonating the potential detractors of his group's new, disarmingly serious record, Authenticity.
Their last album, 2008's Leave It All Behind, received a Best Urban/ Alternative Performance Grammy nomination for the song "Daykeeper." Nicolay Rook, the group's producer, laughs at the all-too-real impersonation, stealing a glance away from the heaping plate of hush puppies in front of him. The duo has again rendezvoused on a Wednesday afternoon in late October, at the Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q restaurant in the little town of Warsaw, off Interstate 40's Exit 364. The stop is equidistant from Rook's Wilmington home and Raleigh, where Coleman resides.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange continues its unmitigated risks on Authenticity (via Independent Weekly)
The Foreign Exchange keeps it real with 'Authenticity' (via Star News)
Source: Star News · By John Staton
When the Foreign Exchange - a musical collaboration between Raleigh-based vocalist Phonte and Dutch-born, Wilmington-based producer Nicolay - was nominated for a Grammy last year, the duo knew they couldn't rest on their laurels.
So they stepped up their game. Even before the hype had faded, even before the Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative track went to India.Arie in late January, Phonte (a former member of N.C. hip-hop group Little Brother) and Nicolay put other plans on hold to start work on what would be the group's third album.
That album, "Authenticity," released in October by the group's own Foreign Exchange Music label, debuted at No. 145 on the Billboard top 200, a respectable ranking for a purely independent record.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange keeps it real with 'Authenticity' (via Star News)
Blogcritics Music reviews The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity release concert in New York NY
Source: Blogcritics Music · By Bunneh3000
When it comes to my music, there are few artists that affect me in a way that defines a whole portion of my life. In a sense, some artists become the soundtrack of my life because of how much their music lyrically and sonically means to me. At times the reason for the choice is simply because you enjoy the music. But at times there are songs and albums that not only become our favorites because of the sound but because of the parallels between life and song. When the meaning of the song has a connection to your life's experiences, it becomes a much deeper emotional experience. The Foreign Exchange and their band of merry musicians are certainly in that category for me.
After seeing FE perform at BB Kings back in 2009, my fiancée and I made sure that we would not miss their return to BB Kings on Oct. 23rd, 2010. Arriving early to the scene, we were greeted by the sounds of DJ Brainchild spinning an eclectic mix of hip hop and funk. Experiencing everything from Slum Village to Barry White, the crowd spilled into BB Kings anticipating yet another amazing performance for this year's CMJ Festival.
Continue reading Blogcritics Music reviews The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity release concert in New York NY
URB reviews Authenticity
Source: URB · By Scotty Pippen
The new FE album "Authenticity" clocks in at a polished eleven tracks, with the memorable "Everything must go" starting off with a synthesizer melody that hypnotizes from start to finish. "This city ain't the same without you" utilizes fan favorite Yazarah's vocals. MTV picking up "The Ballad of Purple St. James'" first video for rotation is as just a much a testament to the FE+ label, as is the newest tight knit ZO! full length. Nicolay's solo catalog continues to develop over time, and "Don't Wait" provides the proof Darrien Brockington's eventual solo album is long deserved. I have no doubt we'll see a rise in notoriety of all of the artists in the collective in the not so distant future.
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The A.V. Club reviews Authenticity
Source: The A.V. Club · By Nathan Rabin
It takes courage to reinvent yourself as a silky soul crooner after developing a hard-earned reputation as one of the most insightful, funny, gifted rappers around, but former Little Brother frontman Phonte has never lacked chutzpah or ambition. The Grammy-nominated renaissance man's first collaborative album with producer Nicolay, Connected, joined the hip-hop boom-bap of Little Brother with shimmering electronic soul. Its follow-up, the aptly named Leave It All Behind, all but abandoned rap, as does the duo's assured new Authenticity, a warm, comforting security blanket of an album. It's a work of hushed intimacy and unabashed romanticism that uses synthesizers to create incongruously organic, natural-sounding grown-folks R&B. The disc sometimes feels like one long, hypnotic, deeply soothing groove separated into tracks, but the sprightly "Maybe She'll Dream of Me," which features Phonte's sole rap on Authenticity, feels like a hit single from an alternate universe where pop music is a meritocracy instead of a rigged game. Phonte exposes his soul in song after song; like a bona fide soulman, he's fearless about broadcasting his softness and vulnerability. Thankfully, he's now in a gentler R&B realm that, unlike hip-hop, sees those qualities as strengths rather than weaknesses.
New York Amsterdam News reviews Authenticity
Source: New York Amsterdam News · By Stephen Johnson
It's one thing for musicians to change their sound gradually and still remain uniquely them. It's another thing altogether to jump ship from album to album and still maintain a sound that belongs to you. The Foreign Exchange (which consists of singer/rapper/songwriter Phonte and producer/musician/arranger Nicolay) has done exactly that. Starting with 2004's firmly rooted in hip-hop Connected, moving to 2008's modern-day classic R&B sound on Leave It All Behind and ending with their new release, Authenticity, the duo have once again changed their sound and created another successful work of art.
Continue reading New York Amsterdam News reviews Authenticity
The Napster Blog reviews Authenticity
Source: The Napster Blog
The Foreign Exchange, last year's surprise Grammy-nominees, return with their newest set, Authenticity. The team of Phonté Coleman and Nicolay continue on their foray of making beautiful soul music with a sound similar to their last album, the heralded Leave It All Behind. Nicolay's production shows more maturation, even more so when compared to Foreign Exchange's hip-hop heavy debut, Connected. Tracks like "All Roads", "Fight For Love" and "Don't Wait" all display Nic's lush and developed soundscapes. With YahZarah and Darien Brockington returning, Phonté continues his transformation from being one of hip-hop's most clever wordsmiths to soulful singer-songwriter extraordinaire, expertly penning songs about love, love lost, it's positives and, definitely, it's negatives. But that's what Authenticity is about: Love, and everything it entails, good and bad. If you dug LIAB, then Authenticity should not disappoint.
Potholes In My Blog reviews Authenticity
Source: Potholes In My Blog · By Craig Jenkins
We always knew Phonte could sang. His career in North Carolina's Little Brother was peppered with turns as a vocalist, most memorably on The Minstrel Show's "Cheatin'", an uproarious send up of mainstream R&B's penchant for cartoonish melodrama. Still, though, when Tay went full on crooner for Leave It All Behind, his and Dutch producer Nicolay's second album as the Foreign Exchange, it was a bit of a curveball. Even so, Tay and Nic made it a smooth transition with an album full of Nicolay's stellar production and Phonte's smoothly sung loverman platitudes. This is a group that never hesitates to challenge its fanbase with each work, and Authenticity is no exception. Where Leave It All Behind was an ode to being in love, Authenticity trafficks in stories of exhaustion, resignation, and quiet, mannered desperation that find the group exploring new musical territories.
Continue reading Potholes In My Blog reviews Authenticity
The Foreign Exchange: Authentic Souls (Part 2) (via The Well Versed)
Source: The Well Versed · By Andreas Hale
TWV: You said that this album is more catered towards a man than a woman. Can you elaborate on that?
Phonte: Most R&B is pretty much men singing what they think women want to hear. Guys kind of get left out in the cold. There's a misconception that guys don't like R&B. Guys like to hear male singers but it has to be something that speaks to them on some level. No disrespect to Trey Songz, because he has songs that I like but I can't ride with four other dudes listening to Trey Songz. That's just not going to happen because most of his songs are tailored to women. My homeboys can't be singing "My Neighbors Know My Name." I'm sorry.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange: Authentic Souls (Part 2) (via The Well Versed)
SoulCuts reviews Authenticity
Source: SoulCuts
Authenticity is a tightly crafted collection of atmospheric electro-soul and pop that could well see Nicolay and Phonte surpass their earlier Grammy nomination. It's a brave record, short and to the point, both lyrically and musically. I'm reminded of the writer's maxim: edit, edit and edit again! There's not an ounce of fat on Authenticity, each track is delivered succinctly, right from the heart of the matter. It's a welcome antidote to the usual bloated R&B from across the pond.
The album's overarching soundscape expands on the music Nicolay explored on his Shibuya release, marrying it exquistely to Phonte's songwriting to produce a soul album that defies the critic's usual sophistic genre classifications. For music lovers, that's certainly worth a round of applause.
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Okayplayer reviews Authenticity
Source: Okayplayer · By Sean Kantrowitz
Is Phonte Coleman depressed or something? It's not an unreasonable question to ask while listening to Authenticity, the third album from the rapper-turned-singer's alternative-R&B/soul group the Foreign Exchange. Picking up where they left off with their Grammy-nominated sophomore effort Leave It All Behind, Coleman and producer Nicolay have crafted an album in the age of the digi-single; a commendable feat that sets them apart from the rest of their "contemporaries" (though let's be honest, this is a group with no peers). As the lonesome leaf that adorns the album's cover might indicate, this is not a cheery affair.
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Pitchfork reviews Authenticity
Source: Pitchfork · By Tal Rosenberg
The narratives surrounding the Foreign Exchange's albums often overshadowed the conversation around the music itself. On their debut, Connected, it was that rapper Phonte and producer Nicolay constructed their tracks through back-and-forth Internet correspondence, having never met by the time their album was released. With their follow-up, Leave It All Behind, it was that the group had committed a total about-face, Phonte having traded rapping for singing. In both cases, the results of such improbable experiments were astonishing. But unlike Connected, which seemed to lose steam with time, Leave It All Behind had a different trajectory. That album grew only richer and more impressive as the years passed, revealing itself to be a remarkably complex, mature R&B record.
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Prefix reviews Authenticity
Source: Prefix Magazine · By Andrew Martin
In 2010, it's not terribly bizarre to learn that a musical act has created its latest track or album by sending tracks through e-mail or an instant-messaging service. But when singer-rapper Phonte Coleman and producer Nicolay joined forces via the infamous OkayPlayer boards in 2004, this method of creating music was basically unheard of. But because of the distance between them - Phonte resides in North Carolina and Nicolay in the Netherlands - these two basically had no other option. As such, they dubbed themselves The Foreign Exchange and crafted their widely heralded debut, Connected, with both names being a clear play on their situation. And on that record, the duo and their guests showcased an organic yet electronic take on soul-infused hip-hop. It was such a natural sound and pairing that Nicolay and Phonte realized they had something special on their hands.
Enter sophomore effort, Leave It All Behind, which dropped in late 2008 and slightly referred to how the producer himself left his life behind and moved to North Carolina. With the two of them living nearby, they could record together in the studio and allow for an even truer interaction. That led to their second album showing a greater feat of songwriting and production, both handled by Nicolay and Phonte. True collaboration might be important in any given recording session, but here it took on a new life because Phonte was ready to show the world his vocal chops. Across the entirety of Leave It All Behind he spit two verses. The rest he crooned with a sincere, honest tone, like an old-school R&B/soul-man with some help from full-time singers Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, and Muhsinah. Together, they made such a mark that even the Grammy's nomination panel took notice and put "Daykeeper" up for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009. Sure, those awards might not mean much to some, but considering the Foreign Exchange's opponents - acts like India.Arie (who won) and others - it meant a lot. So much, in fact, that Phonte put recording his solo debut on hold to get back in the studio with Nicolay to create their third album, Authenticity.
Continue reading Prefix reviews Authenticity
The Foreign Exchange Reign Over The Empire City (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By huny
Phonte, Nicolay and their musically gifted collective known as The Foreign Exchange, including Zo!, Darien Brockington, and guest vocalist Chantae Cann, played BB Kings in New York City Saturday night and, as usual, did not disappoint. The show served as the official album release celebration for their third album, the excellent Authenticity.
As a Certified +FE Stan I looked forward to hearing live versions of their newest tracks, but remained curious in the days leading up to the show as to how the somber underbelly of Authenticity would merge with the happier Leave It All Behind and decidedly more hip-hop Connected material. It was made quickly evident, however, that there would be no palpable delineation between the songs they're most seasoned at performing (i.e. fan favorites "Take Off the Blues," "Come Around" and the GRAMMY-nominated "Daykeeper") and the future classics, which made for an organically cohesive show. The newest additions to their eclectic catalog merge extremely well with the older joints and pretty much solidify The Foreign Exchange "sound"--that achingly soulful, "grown folk relationship soundtrack" sound that resonate so deeply with those of us who've been through some real life shit.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange Reign Over The Empire City (via SoulBounce)
The Foreign Exchange's 'Authenticity' Is As Real As They Come (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By Butta
Let's face it, The Foreign Exchange's Leave It All Behind is a tough act to follow. Released in October 2008, the album overshadowed everything released that year, wound up atop many "Best Of" lists (including being named Album of the Year by this music blog), was home to the GRAMMY-nominated single "Daykeeper" and quite literally caught everyone out there with how unbelievably awesome the whole package was from start to finish. How do you top that? Well, if you're The Foreign Exchange, the goal isn't to repeat what you've already done, which they've made quite clear throughout their career. Everyone thought that they had Nicolay and Phonte pegged after Connected dropped in 2004, but LIAB was a thematic and sonic evolution from their stellar debut. Focused on celebrating the highs and recognizing the lows of relationships, there was less hip hop, more soul and it was all good. So with the release of the group's third album, Authenticity, if there is one thing to be sure of, it's that another surprise is awaiting once you sit down and press play.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange's 'Authenticity' Is As Real As They Come (via SoulBounce)
The Foreign Exchange: Authentic Souls (Part 1) (via The Well Versed)
Source: The Well Versed · By Andreas Hale
TWV: It's been 6 years since Connected was released as two guys who just enjoyed each others music from two different continents. Honestly, did either of you ever think that this is where you would be at in your respective careers? Making this kind of music?
Phonte: I always thought we'd be making music together to some capacity. But in terms of Nic moving stateside and moving at the level we are now, I truly didn't see that coming. I kind of knew from our first record that it would be more than hip hop. We both had aspirations of doing something outside of the realm of hip hop. In terms of it turning into a full blown company and us producing for other people, I damn sure didn't see that happening. We've been blessed.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange: Authentic Souls (Part 1) (via The Well Versed)
Q&A: The Foreign Exchange's Phonte Coleman On How To Make Grown Up R&B That You Can Listen To With Other Men In the Car (via The Village Voice)
Source: The Village Voice · By Brandon Soderberg
When Phonte Coleman, the singing, songwriting half of r&b duo the Foreign Exchange (the other half is producer/multi-instrumentalist Nicolay Rook), talks about the group's new album Authenticity, he's close to apologetic. That's because unlike 2008's Leave It All Behind, the group's Grammy-nominated celebration of love's up-and-down complexities, this new one is an extended, depressive suite about wizened contentment and well, existential dread. Authenticity is purposefully one-note: spare, frosty electronic soul about how much damned work it is to be in a relationship. We met up with Phonte last week in Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss the record as the Foreign Exchange prepared for their two CMJ shows this Saturday: A free one at the Union Square Best Buy at 2:30 p.m. and then a 7 p.m. performance at BB King's.
Continue reading Q&A: The Foreign Exchange's Phonte Coleman On How To Make Grown Up R&B That You Can Listen To With Other Men In the Car (via The Village Voice)
The Foreign Exchange is USA Today's Pick of the Week!
"Maybe She'll Dream Of Me", the first single taken from The Foreign Exchange's new album Authenticity, is USA Today's Pick of the Week!
Source: USA Today · By Steve Jones
Maybe She'll Dream of Me, a soulful contemplation on a guy's chances with a woman so beautiful that she may have never "heard a no before," is from the new album Authenticity by the Foreign Exchange, the inventive duo of North Carolina rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay. It makes one wonder if the reality could ever live up to the fantasy.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange is USA Today's Pick of the Week!
Live Music Guide reviews Authenticity
Source: Live Music Guide · By Kelsey Miller
In 2002, American rapper/singer Phonte Coleman and Dutch producer Nicolay sat at their computers, more than 3,000 miles apart, while producing their first album Connected through the hip-hop and alternative website okayplayer.com. Before meeting face-to-face, the duo released their premier album as The Foreign Exchange, aptly named for their unique but magical musical composing situation.
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The Couch Sessions reviews Authenticity
Source: The Couch Sessions · By Kil
The internet is real dope when you think about it. I actually have no idea what the world would look like without it. I can't imagine a day going by and not checking my email, reading the sports pages of newspapers across the US, tweeting and finding some unreleased music to download.(Don't act like I'm the only one) The internet is also responsible for one of the most innovative groups in music today, the Foreign Exchange.
If you're not up on the Exchange, Phonte (from Little Brother) and Nicolay met on the Root's website Okayplayer and began recording and sending music back and fourth before ever meeting. Something that would've been impossible 15+ years ago, in 2004 became a reality with the group's first album "Connected" and the two doubled down for their sophomore album "Leave It All Behind" which was nominated for a Grammy in 2009. So, how do follow up a Grammy nomination? Easy. Keep making great music. Which is exactly what the group does with their 3rd album "Authenticity".
Continue reading The Couch Sessions reviews Authenticity
Soulections.com reviews Authenticity
Source: Soulections.com · By Saule Wright
By this point, the Internet and iTunes are a buzz with Authenticity, the 3rd full length album from the duo of Phonte and Nicolay. It's hard to follow up a Grammy nominated album as well as going from a relatively small group of fans to a more mainstream and widespread audience. So how does the group do and what do we get? Let's find out...
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Blogcritics Music reviews Authenticity
Source: Blogcritics Music · By Bunneh3000
Continuing their R&B experiment, Phonte and Nicolay take their Grammy nominated project The Foreign Exchange to another level with their third release entitled Authenticity. Settling on an amazing sound they crafted on their sophomore album, FE is comfortable continuing their soul journey together.
With Phonte, an accomplished emcee formerly of the group Little Brother and Nicolay, a producer comfortable in the soul or hip hop production circle, FE (Foreign Exchange) has the potential to take a number of directions when they get together. Their debut album Connected exists as a genre smashing blend of hip hop and R&B which to date has kept their fans on their toes in anticipation of what direction new music will take. Filled with features as well as danceable numbers, it remains as a timeless classic that has a fresh take on the blend of hip hop and R&B with Nicolay's signature sound.
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The Well Versed reviews Authenticity
Source: The Well Versed · By William Ketchum
A Grammy nomination and an accessible new sound are good and all, but there isn't much that can truly comfort a relationship gone sour. With their third album, Authenticity, Foreign Exchange--the musical duo of vocalist Phonte Coleman and dutch producer Nicolay--lurk in post-breakup purgatory before finding their way out by remembering the good times and staying optimistic for the future.
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Soul UK reviews Authenticity
October 12th should have been a date marked on every soul music lovers diary, for that was the day that saw the release of Authenticity, the third album for the Grammy nominated duo, The Foreign Exchange. With two albums under their belt, both of which are hailed as modern classics, the group were always going to have a steep hill to climb if they were going to live up to the extreme hype off the back of 2004′s Connected and 2008′s Leave It All Behind. Well folks it looks like we can all breath a sigh of relief as Nicolay and Phonte have released another certified classic that will surely be regarded as one of, if not the, best release of 2010.
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Rawemag reviews Authenticity
Source: Rawemag
Their 2008 release, "Leave It All Behind," got them a Grammy nomination for the song "Daykeeper." Despite not winning (they should've won) , The Foreign Exchange is back with a vengeance in the form of "Authenticity."
Typically, when one thinks of The Foreign Exchange--thoughts run to humor, and hip-hop, however, these elements are not necessarily shown as much with this album. What "Authenticity" lacks from predecessors "Connected" (2004) and "Leave It All Behind" (2008) it gains with it's contemplative and dark honesty. This album features just four collaborations, two from longtime Foreign Exchange collaborators Yahzarah, and Darrien Brockington, as well as collaborations from Chantae Cann and Jesse Boykins III. The album is different from other Foreign Exchange music, however it's still a great album.
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Washington City Paper reviews Authenticity
Source: Washington City Paper · By Marcus J. Moore
Gentlemen, raise your hands if you've been here: You meet "the one," that woman who you just know is the best thing you've ever encountered. Then, you embark on what promises to be an astonishing love affair of deep infatuation and refreshing spontaneity.
But soon you analyze the relationship and aren't thrilled with what's there, and you're forced to sever the bond. Or, maybe she's the one who leaves, pulling out the rug from under your feet. Then you stomp around with your favorite liquor and swear off love forever.
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LA Weekly reviews Authenticity
Source: LA Weekly · By Rebecca Haithcoat
Being in love is like being underwater. All outside noise is dulled; all light is ethereal. But, when isolated, your lover's dulcet voice can be deceptive, and that shimmering light can be marred by pockets of shadows.
The Foreign Exchange's latest album, Authenticity, is a love letter, but one told in reverse, and one that sees no point in sparing feelings. That's no surprise. Phonte Coleman, one half of The Foreign Exchange and one third of the now-dissolved North Carolinian hip-hop group Little Brother, has always been about truth in verses. After all, his raps told of a broke college grad with a record deal who can only afford to take his date to Applebee's, not some typical (and typically untrue) blunts-n-broads braggadocio.
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ThisIsRealMusic reviews Authenticity
Source: ThisIsRealMusic · By Nekeya O'Connor
After a two year waiting period, those of us who appreciate good music, no longer have to twiddle our thumbs or subject ourselves to random that is being put out today. The Foreign Exchange is back, and has done it yet again with another gem for the masses. Authenticity is nothing short of its title: pure, beautiful, authentic, with a touch of real, and a hint of (dare I say it)...dark? This album is different, yet consistent with what FE is known for: good music.
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allmusic reviews Authenticity
Source: allmusic · By Andy Kellman
The Foreign Exchange family's third 2010 release, following YahZarah's The Ballad of Purple St. James and Zo!'s SunStorm, Authenticity is the third proper album from the flagship act helmed by Nicolay and Phonte. It's somehow more lush and downcast than 2008's Leave It All Behind, frequently dipping into an alluring type of despondent heartache that is improbably soothing. Opening with an eerie intro similar to that of the Grammy-nominated "Daykeeper," Authenticity promptly gets to the black heart of the matter: "Loved you good, and you wrote our heartbreak in the sky." Phonte, whose singing voice is equally resigned and penetrating, lets loose a torrent of Hear, My Dear-worthy bombs, like "Love is at worst an excuse/At best it's a truce/So what is the use?" The song's tremulous, synthesizer-laced production would have fit on Nicolay's City Lights, Vol. 2: Shibuya, had Nicolay experienced a crippling loss during the trip that inspired that album. The following slow-motion title track, rhythmically resembling warped Purple Rain-era Prince, furthers the album's theme of pouring everything into a relationship despite being aware of the futility. Here, Phonte is in full soul-baring confession mode: "She's all that I could dream, but she tears me apart." A couple significant songs detour from bad-lover territory, though they could be re-sequenced to seem more like chronological scenes from a relationship in gradual decay. "Maybe She'll Dream of Me," sweet and percolating, is a light song in the best sense, but in the context of all the heartache, one gets the overriding notion that it's more about pursuing something that could only be too good to be true. "Make Me a Fool," as in "I'm not asking you to be an angel/Just don't ever make me a fool," seems to sense the inevitable in spite of its guard dropping. More moody, modern R&B that sounds like nothing else and reveals remarkable depth (there's even a little well-placed twang and some violin), Authenticity is neither an everyday nor an every-day album, unless playing it is necessary for the sake of convalescence.
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SoulTracks reviews Authenticity
The very first review of The Foreign Exchange's new album, Authenticity!
Source: SoulTracks · By L. Michael Gipson
Wistful, contemplative, and darkly honest, what Authenticity loses in the humor and haunting refrains of its predecessor it gains in...well...authenticity! Leave It All Behind, one of the best albums of any generation, was always going to be a tough act for the North Carolina meets The Netherlands collective to follow. The good news is that The Foreign Exchange production quality, feel, and signature sound of LIAB bleeds over into Authenticity with enough residue that ensures the two are undeniably in relationship with one another, if not always peers. Nonetheless, Authenticity has an attractive DNA all its own, one greatly benefiting from the evolving and constantly surprising talents of its frontman, Phonte. No longer obviously couched by the proven vocal talents of vets Yahzarah, Musinah, and Darien Brockington, Phonte's more assured vocals fly solo through this project's misty skies considerably more than on previous FE offerings. His songwriting also bears greater distinction. Lyrically bare and just shy of the blues, Phonte's philosophical pen goes to the heart of men, pulling the covers off male bravado to reveal a cavernous sensitivity and their often masked insecurities. Authenticity's uniquely autumn atmosphere, matter-of-fact vocals, and august, love weary lyricism invites travellers into yet another magical world orbiting in FE's ever-expanding electro-soul universe.
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Zo! artist feature on Brave Soul Collective
Source: Brave Soul Collective · By Monte J. Wolfe
Our Brave Soul Artist feature for this month is a self proclaimed "Musical Architect" and a true definition of an artist. Multi-Instrumentalist/Producer Zo! is Detroit-area born and raised Lorenzo Ferguson. Music was always present in and around the Ferguson house, which let to Zo! taking piano lessons at age 6... which he absolutely despised. The idea of working toward a Major League Baseball career served as the greatest inspiration through his teenage years much more so than the concept of practicing music. After his parents consistently pushed and encouraged him to stick with music, Zo! discovered a newfound passion by teaching himself how to play piano by ear by age 11. Zo! got his production start in 1992 when his parents brought home a Proteus MPS keyboard and a Brother PDC100 sequencer for him to figure out. Since then, he has emphasized the use of live instrumentation as the blueprint for his music while constantly looking to expand his sound with each album release.
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The Foreign Exchange: The Right (Creative) Decisions (via Unsigned The Magazine)
Source: Unsigned The Magazine · By Melody Charles
Searing and soulful verses served over ethereal, aquatic beats, colored with varying tones and textures that intrigue the ears and expand the mind...these are the trademark characteristics that Nicolay and Phonte Coleman have established musically as members of the duo Foreign Exchange, a phrase that describes the combination of their Dutch and Durham, NC roots and musical influences.
Their 2004 debut, Connected, was a long-distance alliance of beats and rhymes tossed back and forth via the internet, and 2008's Leave It All Behind, which featured the poignant, Grammy-nominated "Daykeeper," maintained the momentum and broadened their fan base.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange: The Right (Creative) Decisions (via Unsigned The Magazine)
Textura reviews SunStorm
Source: Textura · By Ron Schepper
Listening to Zo!'s SunStorm is much like taking a bite out of a Proustian madelaine. After just a few minutes of exposure, a veritable floodgate of memories and associations appears: Songs in the Key of Life, Atlantic Starr, Soul Train, Breezin', Deodato, '70s Philly Soul, Donny Hathaway--you get the idea. All such associations might suggest that SunStorm is thus a retrograde or 'old-school' recording, but I'd prefer to call it timeless. Music of such quietly celebratory sincerity and soulfulness never goes out of style and if anything we could do with a whole lot more of it. Hip-hop is part of SunStorm's stylistic mix but the album's primary focus is soul music of the delectably funky and sexy kind (sometimes directly so, as in the love jam "Make Love 2 Me," which--consistent with its make-out vibe--unspools for ten oh-so-amorous minutes).
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Washington City Paper reviews SunStorm
Source: Washington City Paper · By Marcus J. Moore
There's a moment near the end of the martial-arts film The Last Dragon in which the protagonist Bruce Leroy realizes he has "the power," an unmistakable, self-actualizing glow that enables him to conquer obstacles (and catch a bullet in his teeth). Lorenzo Ferguson, a Silver Spring-based producer, is basking in his own Leroy-style aura. Here's a man who has already enjoyed a respectable career as a multifaceted artist with a handful of enjoyable projects to his credit. With SunStorm, however, Zo! successfully marries his aesthetic to The Foreign Exchange's for a project that is as seamless as it is timeless. It might even teach you some moves.
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SoulTracks reviews SunStorm
Source: SoulTracks · By B.J. Bunneh Brown
The Foreign Exchange Music is at it again with the release of producer and multi-instrumentalist Zo!'s Sunstorm. After contributing to a number of Foreign Exchange projects such as Yahzarah's The Ballad Of Purple St. James and Little Brother's curtain call album Leftback, Zo! has delivered a palette of uplifting and passionate soul offerings that are sure to please. Channeling his inner Quincy Jones, Zo! has crafted an impressive album of his own sonic vision with the help of amazing vocalists such as Sy Smith, Lady Alma, Darien Brockington, Yahzarah, Carlitta Durand, Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, Jesse Boykins III, Chantae Cann, Monica Blaire, and Eric Roberson. Sunstorm is truly the Back On The Block of 2010.
Continue reading SoulTracks reviews SunStorm
Nu-Soul Magazine reviews SunStorm
Source: Nu-Soul Magazine · By Norman Mayers
If you need further proof that anyone affiliated with The Foreign Exchange is changing the shape of contemporary soul, look no further than the latest release from extended +FE member Zo! Enlisting the aid of fellow touring Foreign Exchange members Yahzarah, Phonte, and Darien Brockington as well as extended Nicolay alumni like Sy Smith and Carlitta Durand and progressive soul standouts like Eric Roberson, Monica Blaire, and Lady Alma, Zo! has crafted a true masterwork of epic proportions with Sunstorm.
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Zo!'s SunStorm shines bright (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By Ivory
If you're a passionate music lover like I am, then you already know that there's nothing worse than waiting patiently for an album to drop, only to realize that it was nowhere near as good as you'd hoped it'd be. Well, that is so not the case with Zo!'s highly-anticipated album, SunStorm. We've seem glimmers of his greatness on his 12 previous releases, namely 2009's tantalizing just visiting too EP, but on his first full-length project on The Foreign Exchange's homegrown imprint, he proves what we had all hoped: that he's one of the most exciting things to happen to music in a minute.
Continue reading Zo!'s SunStorm shines bright (via SoulBounce)
allmusic reviews SunStorm
Source: allmusic · By Andy Kellman
SunStorm is Lorenzo Ferguson's follow-up to 2009's Overdue Process -- a full-length collaboration with MC Asylum 7 -- and payback from several sessions beside the Foreign Exchange and its affiliates. It's also the natural extension of the Just Visiting EPs, in which the multi-instrumentalist/producer and a rotating array of vocalists reinterpreted soft soul of the mid-'70s through the early '90s -- hits and cult classics like Minnie Riperton's "Perfect Angel," the Jones Girls' "Nights Over Egypt," and Mary J. Blige's "Love No Limit." Ferguson's keyboards and beats have always been flexible enough to accommodate vocalists and MCs with equal ease. Here, they are especially geared toward the former, though Phonte pulls double duty on the uplifting tone setter "Greater Than the Sun" and Rapper Big Pooh briefly drops in on the loose-collared "This Could Be the Night." True to its title, SunStorm emits a constant flow of radiant, positive energy, even when the love songs convey turbulence. Ferguson gracefully switches between lively pianos and darting synthesizers over beats that gently bounce and flutter, and drafts in some occasional woodwinds and brass. This places the album as much in line with the most musical strain of broken beat (à la 4hero, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and Kaidi Tatham) as adult contemporary R&B. If the wide-scoped progressive jazz and R&B station WJZZ -- a fixture in Ferguson's native Detroit -- still existed, it would no doubt wear this album out. Given the number of featured vocalists, the station would not run the risk of losing any ears in doing so.
Soul UK reviews SunStorm
Source: Soul UK
Well folks the wait is over. It is now July 27th and you can all get your hands on one of the most anticipated albums of the year, Zo!'s Sunstorm.
The Detroit producer / multi-instrumentalist has been honing his craft for years releasing EP's along the way, however it was hooking up with Phonte (and the rest of the Foreign Exchange crew) that really saw the tables turn and saw Zo! gain some much deserved attention. After working with FE on their Grammy nominated Leave It All Behind album, and releasing the free EP ...just visiting too, all was on course for him to become a member of the +FE Music label and release his full-length debut.
Continue reading Soul UK reviews SunStorm
The Foreign Exchange makes Atlanta connection; new album in the works (via Atlanta Hip-Hop Music Examiner)
Source: Atlanta Hip-Hop Music Examiner · By Shannon Barbour
Atlanta was ready for The Foreign Exchange. On a warm Friday night in late May, their show at Midtown's Masquerade was filled with the grown and sexy people of what the music industry calls "urban alternative." The mostly coupled-up coterie was formed by women in colorful dresses and sandals and men in button-downs and jeans or graphic T-shirts bearing images of rock and hip-hop icons. If you didn't get close to the front, you could bob and weave your way to a better view through the afroed and loc-ed up folks that made of up the majority of the standing room only area. And the numbers didn't lie; the capacity crowd of the venue showed that a performance from the North Carolina via the Netherlands collective was well worth the wait.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange makes Atlanta connection; new album in the works (via Atlanta Hip-Hop Music Examiner)
The Foreign Exchange rocks B.B. King's (via SoulTracks)
Source: SoulTracks · By Ann Marie Collymore
The Foreign Exchange was working especially hard, commencing their loaded weekend schedule in Philadelphia, performing during The Roots Picnic. A short but sweet set was just enough to whet the appetite of the New Yorkers who traveled down for the day. Nonetheless, on Sunday night, it was all about New York City. The energy was palpable. And with Jesse Boykins III opening, the audience was in for a solid night of comedy, grooves and entertainment the only way FE knows how to deliver.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange rocks B.B. King's (via SoulTracks)
The Foreign Exchange to bring Authenticity this October (via SoulBounce)
Source: SoulBounce · By Butta
October 12, 2010. Add this date to your calendar right now and circle it in red, schedule an alarm or do whatever you need to do to remember it because that, my friends, is the release date of The Foreign Exchange's third album. Entitled Authenticity, Nicolay and Phonte will be coming back once again to change the game that we call urban music. Their sound is constantly evolving and from the delicious sneak peek that I've heard, one thing is for sure--expect the unexpected from these cats and their cohorts YahZarah, Darien Brockington and Zo!. While we wait for Authenticity to drop, you already know that next to FE's official website, SoulBounce will be Foreign Exchange Central in the coming months. So, yes, go ahead and start getting excited from now.
Recap: The Foreign Exchange at B.B. King's, New York (via Suite903)
Source: Suite903 · By Helen Marie
Arriving at B.B. Kings Sunday, June 6th armed with camera, pen and pad, I was ready with high expectations for The Foreign Exchange. The multi-faceted identity of FE is represented by YahZarah, Phonte and Darien Brockington, together combining an ecclecic recipe of hip-hop, blues, funk, reggae with a complete "feel good" gospel experience.
Nicolay's genius production sets the tone of the show with the witty lyricism of Phonte; smooth serenading of Darien Brockington, topped off with the sultry vocals of Yahzarah St. James. It only takes one live show to see that this union's very existence, which can only produce the kind of music that is timeless. The Foreign Exchange show was very entertaining, but do not take that description loosely. The experience of being at a Foreign Exchange concert is nothing short of musical genius.
Continue reading Recap: The Foreign Exchange at B.B. King's, New York (via Suite903)
The A.V. Club interviews Phonte
Source: The A.V. Club · By Nathan Rabin
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.
Continue reading The A.V. Club interviews Phonte
The Foreign Exchange: Class In Session; Music 3000 (via Allhiphop)
Source: Allhiphop · By Joyce Farley
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.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange: Class In Session; Music 3000 (via Allhiphop)
The Foreign Exchange brings soul to Akron (via fullasoul.com)
Source: Fullasoul
There's no questioning how rich in soul music history we are in the state of Ohio. 20 years ago, an Ohioan would never need to go far to find some live soul music goin' down nearby. In 2010, it's a different story. Cleveland gets theirs, no question...but to see a surge of R&B artists making their way down the road to Akron the last couple of years has been bliss.
Saturday night, the city was blessed with it's first appearance by the Grammy-nominated Foreign Exchange. Having not seen them before live, I had no idea what a treat we were all in for.
Continue reading The Foreign Exchange brings soul to Akron (via fullasoul.com)