"While being nominated for a Grammy is an honor and a blessing," said rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte Coleman in a press release, "I'm more proud of the journey than I am of the arrival. The story of Foreign Exchange is proof that you can succeed on your own terms while making music that you believe in. I am grateful and humbled by this moment."

The Foreign Exchange is an artistic collective helmed by singer/songwriter Phonte Coleman and producer Nicolay. The Foreign Exchange came together via the online hip-hop community Okayplayer.com in 2002. After trading files through Instant Messenger for over a year, Nicolay (living in his native Holland at the time) and Phonte (a Raleigh, NC resident) completed their debut album before they ever met each other in person. Their debut album ‘Connected’ (released in 2004) was an underground smash with over 30,000 Nielson SoundScans to date.