The Foreign Exchange is music duo consisting of the American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

Phonte Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, and producer. He is also a member of Team Supreme, that co-hosts the Questlove Supreme podcast. Phonte is a member of the North Caroli ...

and the Dutch

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

Nicolay, their music is a blend of

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, R&B and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

Musical career

The pair initially made contact via message boards on Okayplayer.com and soon began recording and exchanging music. Soon after, they formed The Foreign Exchange without having ever met each other in person, hence the name. Their album, ''

Connected Connected may refer to: Film and television * ''Connected'' (2008 film), a Hong Kong remake of the American movie ''Cellular'' * '' Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death & Technology'', a 2011 documentary film * ''Connected'' (2015 TV ...

'', was released in 2004 and was a showcase for Nicolay's musical talents as well as an introduction to like-minded Little Brother affiliates who contributed to the album. The album received strong reviews and the single, "Sincere", featuring

YahZarah Dana Nicole Amma Williams (born June 24, 1978), is known professionally as YahZarah, is a Ghanaian American singer and music producer. She is known for radio hits "Wishing" and "Why Dontcha Call Me No More". In 1997, she began her career as a b ...

, was released with a music video directed by Joey Boukadakis. In October 2008, the duo released their second album '' Leave It All Behind''. In June 2009, the group announced that Zo! is now an official artist on The Foreign Exchange Music imprint and, in November 2009,

also joined the imprint. Median and Darien Brockington later joined. In December 2009, the group were nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Daykeeper" (feat. Muhsinah) from their ''Leave It All Behind'' album. The group's third album, '' Authenticity'', was released on October 12, 2010. In January 2011, the duo went on tour with

Sy Smith Sy Smith is an American singer. Early life and career beginnings Smith grew up in Washington, D.C. She began her career leading a six-person Washington D.C. go-go band called "In Tyme". After graduating from Howard University with a bachelor ...

and Darien Brockington. In June 2011, the group announced their first live album, '' Dear Friends: An Evening with the Foreign Exchange'', which includes appearances by

and Jeanne Jolly. In September 2017, the group released their first compilation album, Hide&Seek.

Discography

Studio albums

* 2004: ''

'' * 2008: '' Leave It All Behind'' (#68 US R&B) * 2010: '' Authenticity'' (#145 US; No. 23 US R&B) * 2013: '' Love in Flying Colors'' (#115 US; No. 22 US R&B) * 2015: '' Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey'' (#12 US R&B) * 2017: '' Hide&Seek''

Singles

* 2004: "Sincere" (feat.

Yahzarah Dana Nicole Amma Williams (born June 24, 1978), is known professionally as YahZarah, is a Ghanaian American singer and music producer. She is known for radio hits "Wishing" and "Why Dontcha Call Me No More". In 1997, she began her career as a b ...

) * 2008: "Daykeeper" (feat.

Muhsinah Muhsinah (; born July 20, 1983) is an American Grammy Award nominated singer and producer, from Washington, D.C. She cites Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Nirvana and Chopin as among her influences. Musical career A graduate of ...

) * 2009: "Take Off the Blues" * 2009: "House of Cards" * 2009: "I Wanna Know" * 2010: "Maybe She'll Dream of Me" * 2011: "Laughing at Your Plans" (feat.

& Jeanne Jolly) * 2013: "Call It Home" * 2014: "Dreams Are Made For Two" (feat. Carlitta Durand) * 2015: "Asking for a Friend" * 2018: "June"

Foreign Exchange Music

Foreign Exchange Music (often abbreviated as +FE Music) is a record label founded by The Foreign Exchange members Phonte and Nicolay. The label was first started for the release of their second album ''Leave It All Behind''. Originally created for the release of their own music, the label has since issued albums for other acts.

Roster

Current * The Foreign Exchange (2008-present) * Phonte (2011-present) * Nicolay (2009-present) * Zo! (2010-present) * BeMyFiasco (2021-present) *

(2024-present) * Darien Brockington (2024-present) * Carlitta Durand (2024-present) Producers * Nicolay * Zo! Former *

(2010) * Median (2011, in collaboration with Jamla Records) * Jeanne Jolly (2011-12)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foreign Exchange, The Dutch hip-hop groups American hip-hop duos American musical duos English-language musical groups from the Netherlands Barely Breaking Even artists

Foreign Exchange The foreign exchange market (forex, FX, or currency market) is a global decentralized or over-the-counter (OTC) market for the trading of currencies. This market determines foreign exchange rates for every currency. By trading volume, it i ...