The Foreign Exchange

Exemplars of progressive R&B and hip-hop, the Foreign Exchange use the neo-soul idiom as a mere jumping point for an evolving sound that draws from sophisticated funk, quiet storm, deep house, broken beat, and much more. An early and prime example of the Internet facilitating collaboration, FE began in 2002 as a strictly online dialog between North Carolinian rapper/singer Phonte (of Little Brother) and Dutch producer Nicolay. The duo didn't meet in-person until after they completed Connected (2004) with help from a supporting cast of roughly a dozen. Leave It All Behind (2008), the atmospheric if deeply resonant follow-up, flipped the script with Phonte more often using his singing voice, flanked by the likes of debut contributors Yahzarah and Darien Brockington, as well as Muhsinah, Phonte's duet partner on the Grammy-nominated "Daykeeper." FE's streak of Billboard-charting albums continued with the moodier Authenticity (2010), the descriptively titled Love in Flying Colors (2013), and Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey (2015), the last of which was presented as the work of a group featuring close associates Zo! and Carmen Rodgers, and relative newcomer Tamisha Waden. Since their fifth album together, Phonte and Nicolay have released the singles "June" (2018) and "The Grey" (2024) while juggling other pursuits. The Foreign Exchange started when Little Brother rapper Phonte heard a beat on Okayplayer.com by upstart producer Nicolay and asked if he could lay some vocals over it. Nicolay agreed, and the song "Light It Up" appeared shortly thereafter as the B-side to Little Brother's 2002 single "Whatever You Say." Relying mainly on instant messaging and email, the duo continued to work together, with Nicolay sending beats to Phonte, who would add vocals in return until they had enough tracks to form an album. Not once during the entire process of making Connected did the members of the Foreign Exchange speak over the phone or in person. The album saw release through BBE in August 2004, received critical acclaim, and appeared on year-end lists of multiple publications. Phonte stayed active with Little Brother and a high volume of collaborative work outside both of his groups, while Nicolay -- who eventually moved from Utrecht to Wilmington, North Carolina, within driving distance to Phonte's native Durham -- released the first few of his many solo projects. Leave It All Behind, a more R&B-oriented follow-up, saw release in October 2008 and immediately entered Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart at number 68. The album featured input from multi-instrumentalist Zo! and guitarist Chris Boerner, and also added woodwinds, brass, and strings. "Daykeeper," the lead single featuring Muhsinah, was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Leave It All Behind established the Foreign Exchange Music imprint, and after Nicolay released City Lights, Vol. 2 in 2009, the label was busier yet in 2010, releasing three albums: Yahzarah's The Ballad of Purple St. James, Zo!'s SunStorm, and the Foreign Exchange's Authenticity. A DVD/CD set entitled Dear Friends: An Evening with the Foreign Exchange, and a two-disc set of remixes and new songs titled The Reworks, preceded the group's fourth studio album, Love in Flying Colors. Upon release in September 2013, it entered the R&B/hip-hop chart at number 22, topped the Heatseekers survey, and crossed into the Billboard 200 at number 115. In August 2015, following a world tour and the release of Nicolay's City Lights, Vol. 3: Soweto -- an album inspired by the group's world tour dates in South Africa -- the group issued Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey. The diverse set was co-produced by Zo! and incorporated everything from throwback house and Latin jazz to a playful nod to funk legends Slave. Over the next decade, the Foreign Exchange label remained fully operational with solo releases from Phonte and Nicolay and recordings by a mix of old and new associates that included Zo!, Sy Smith, Carlitta Durand, Darien Brockington, and BeMyFiasco. Meanwhile, Phonte and Little Brother partner Big Pooh reconvened for May the Lord Watch (on which the duo were joined by Nicolay and many others in the FE circle), and the Foreign Exchange reappeared with the 2018 single "June" and 2024's "The Grey." A dubbed-out cover of Sade's "I Couldn't Love You More" backed the latter's A-side. ~ Marisa Brown & Andy Kellman, Rovi