Carolina Hip Hop Culture Magazine: Leaders of the Carolinas 2017 | Page 55

While platinum certifications have eluded Phonte Coleman, he has
built one of the richest and most consistent discographies in post-
millennial hip-hop and R&B. The Greensboro, North Carolina
native established himself in Little Brother, a Native Tongues-
inspired trio that developed into the leading alternative rap act of
the 2000s. Coleman became known for casually clever wordplay
that projected vivid realism with rare depth and sharp humor.
While the group was still thriving, he and Dutch multi-
instrumentalist/producer Nicolay established the Foreign
Exchange, who debuted with the accomplished multi-genre
synthesis Connected (2004) and made a convincing shift into
moody, left-of-center R&B with Leave It All Behind (2008). Among
the latter album's highlights was "Daykeeper," a spine-chilling
ballad on which Coleman shared lead vocals with Muhsinah. The
song was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best
Urban/Alternative Performance, a validation of Coleman's artistic
diversification. After the disbandment of Little Brother and the
release of the Foreign Exchange's third album, Coleman issued his
first solo album, Charity Starts at Home (2011). Featuring a handful
of cuts produced by fellow LB alum 9th Wonder, it debuted at
number seven on the Billboard rap chart. One factor in its high
placement was possibly Drake, who had recently dedicated his BMI
Songwriter of the Year Award to his inspirations: larger-than-life
superstars Kanye West and André 3000, and the comparatively
under-the-radar Coleman. Through the mid-2010s, Coleman's
abundant and evolving output with Nicolay remained his primary
outlet as he continued to work beside fellow Foreign Exchange
family members, including YahZarah and Zo!, as a songwriter,
producer, and guest vocalist. Meanwhile, he also continued to
stack appearances on tracks by other artists, including the Roots,
Robert Glasper, and Kaytranada. He was especially productive
across 2015 and 2016, a period that entailed a fifth Foreign
Exchange studio release, contributions to solo albums by Nicolay
and Zo!, and the creation of Tigallerro, a full-length collaboration
with longtime associate Eric Roberson. Behind the scenes,
Coleman wrote verses for characters, including one he portrayed in
The Breaks, a VH-1 TV movie that developed into a series.