Connected (The Foreign Exchange album)

Connected is the first studio album by the Foreign Exchange, a hip hop group consisting of American rapper Phonte from Little Brother and Dutch producer Nicolay. It was released on BBE on August 24, 2004.[6]

Connected
Studio album by the Foreign Exchange
Released	August 24, 2004 (2004-08-24)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	63:09
Label	BBE
Producer	Nicolay
The Foreign Exchange chronology
Connected (2004) Leave It All Behind (2008)
Singles from Connected
"Sincere / Come Around / Raw Life" Released: 2004 (2004)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The A.V. Club	favorable[2]
Dusted Magazine	favorable[3]
Exclaim!	favorable[4]
Pitchfork	8.6/10[5]
PopMatters	[6]
RapReviews.com	7/10[7]

Their group name comes from how they produced their songs: Nicolay would produce a beat in the Netherlands and send the beat to Phonte through instant messaging, email, and traditional mail to lay down the vocals. Phonte would return the product, so Nicolay could then master the track; they did not meet until after the album was completed.[8]

Pitchfork placed it at number 22 on the "Top 50 Albums of 2004" list.[9] In 2015, it was ranked at number 86 on Fact's "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list.[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Foreign Exchange Title Theme"	2:28
2.	"Von Sees"	2:11
3.	"Raw Life"	4:48
4.	"Hustle Hustle"	3:39
5.	"Let's Move"	3:55
6.	"Nic's Groove"	5:37
7.	"Be Alright"	4:16
8.	"Sincere"	4:47
9.	"Brave New World"	4:58
10.	"The Answer"	4:39
11.	"Come Around"	4:01
12.	"Happiness"	4:42
13.	"Foreign Exchange End Theme"	2:01
14.	"All That You Are"	4:33
15.	"Be Alright (Nicolay's Easybreezy Sunday Afternoon Remix)"	3:04
16.	"Call"	2:45
17.	"Downtime (Nicky Troutman's Bounce to the Ounce Remix)"	2:55

Personnel

• Phonte – vocals
• Nicolay – production
• Yahzarah – vocals (on "Foreign Exchange Title Theme", "Sincere", and "End Theme")
• Von Pea – vocals (on "Von Sees")
• Joe Scudda – vocals (on "Raw Life")
• Quartermaine – vocals (on "Hustle, Hustle")
• C.A.L.I.B.E.R. – vocals (on "Hustle, Hustle")
• Rapper Big Pooh – vocals (on "Let's Move", "Nic's Groove", and "Happiness")
• Median – vocals (on "Be Alright" and "All That You Are")
• Frank Ford – vocals (on "Be Alright")
• Kenn Starr – vocals (on "The Answer")
• Oddisee – vocals (on "The Answer")
• Sean Boog – vocals (on "The Answer")
• Darien Brockington – vocals (on "Come Around", "All That You Are", and "Call")

References

1. Kellman, Andy. "The Foreign Exchange - Connected". AllMusic. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
2. Rabin, Nathan (September 27, 2004). "The Foreign Exchange: Connected". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
3. Drimmer, Josh (September 8, 2004). "Dusted Reviews: The Foreign Exchange - Connected". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
4. Cowie, Del F. (September 30, 2004). "Foreign Exchange - Connected". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
5. Warren, Jamin (September 14, 2004). "The Foreign Exchange: Connected". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
6. Umile, Dominic (January 5, 2005). "The Foreign Exchange: Connected". PopMatters. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
7. Barone, Matt (June 15, 2004). "Foreign Exchange :: Connected :: BBE Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
8. Brown, Marisa. "The Foreign Exchange - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
9. "Top 50 Albums of 2004 (3/5)". Pitchfork. December 31, 2004. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
10. "The 100 best indie hip-hop records of all time: 86. The Foreign Exchange - Connected". Fact. February 25, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2016.

External links

• Connected at Discogs (list of releases)