Nicolay & 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...