Directed by Matt Koza & Bruce Pinchbeck. Dark.

Phonte and Nicolay discuss the history of Foreign Exchange in this three-part mini-documentary.

The official music video for the first single taken from Zo!’s upcoming album SunStorm, in stores July 27 on +FE Music. Directed by Matt Koza.

Nicolay drops off a new sampler for Yazahrah’s Ballad of Purple Saint James, dropping May 4th on Foreign Exchange Music. Guest shots from Phonte and Darrien Brockington.

Tracklisting:
a) Shadow intro
b) All My Days feat. Darien Brockington
c) Cry Over You feat. Phonte
d) Have A Heart
e) Change Your Mind
f) Starship
g) Shadow Outro

Yahzarah – “The Ballad Of Purple Saint James (Sampler)” (.ZIP)

New music from the Foreign Exchange Music family.  This is the debut single from YahZarah off her album The Ballad of Purple St. James which is set for release on May 4th, 2010.  Production from Nicolay and Phonte who also left this message on their website:

“Working on this album cost us a lot of time and effort (and damn near cost me a kidney….lol), but I can’t think of any single person who’s humility and raw talent deserves it more. For those of you who want a casual listen, feel free to stream the single from our +FE Music player. For those who want to own the single and help spread the word, feel free to download the entire package, which includes the mp3, the single artwork, and various tools to use on twitter and other social networks.

We sincerely thank all of you for your support, and as always, thank you for listening.

Peace,
‘Te and Nic”

YahZarah – “Why Dontcha Call Me No More’” (MP3)

Leave It All Behind is essentially an album one (or two) should listen to in bed, rather than in traffic. It never leaves the from under the covers, with sleepy, melodic grooves, as Phonte takes center stage with breezy vocals, teaming with other vocalists of the same mind set. It opens with “Daykeeper”, with Nicolay providing a track that sounds a bit like an outtake from Radiohead’s Kid A, yet with a bit more soul. “Take Off The Blues” lends the mic to Darien Brockington, offering the same brand of late night soul found on Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s “Lots of Lovin”, sans raps.
Hypnotic grooves like “House of Cards” (Feat. Muhsinah) and “If She Breaks Your Heart” (feat. Yahzarah) – both duets with female vocalists – are helped out by their respective guests, which breaks the monotony of the two main artists that dominate the record. “If This Is Love” is also a nice change up, with a track that evokes sounds of late 90’s acid jazz, as Yahzarah again takes center stage.

Musically this LP is strong, but is a heavy plate to digest. Those fans looking for a sequel done in the same formula as Connected will be sorely disappointed. Last time around, Nic’s lush production custom fit Phonte’s personalized lyrics, crafting a sound rarely heard in hip-hop these days. However with this album, the production is still there, but Phonte’s choice to sing rather than spit, is debatable. He’s definitely got the vocal chops to pull it off, however his style is an acquired taste, which to this critic is better off in small doses, coupled with his stronger suit – rhyming. Ultimately, whom this album won’t disappoint are the lovers; the people who prefer the upstairs lounge to the downstairs dancefloor, or those who weren’t looking for a hip-hop album in the first place. Others may find themselves leaving it behind altogether.  – D.T. Swinga