The Foreign Exchange started when Little Brother rapper Phonte heard a beat on Okayplayer.com by Dutch producer Nicolay and asked if he could lay some vocals over it. Nicolay agreed, and "Light It Up" appeared as the B-side to LB's "Whatever You Say." Relying mainly on Instant Messenger and email, the duo continued to collaborate and made their debut as the Foreign Exchange, Connected (2004). Due in part to an increasing production load, Nicolay moved to the States, and Leave It All Behind, the second FE album -- more R&B oriented than the debut -- was recorded. Released in 2008, its lead single, "Daykeeper," was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Urban/Alternative Performance. ~ Marisa Brown