The Foreign Exchange, a duo created by rapper Phonte Coleman and Dutch producer Nicolay has become a well known urban artist's, making R&B albums together since the early 2000's. Their collision started when rapper Phonte heard a few beats from Nicolay on an online website and asked if he could put some vocals over it. Since then, the two has been working together, making one song after another without either one talking on the phone or meeting in person. Solely sending songs and vocals through email and making albums over it truly highlights the benefits of the Internet--emphasizing the name "Foreign Exchange". And since the release of their first album Connected in 2004, the duo have become recognized by being nominated a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the lead single Daykeeper in 2008.
Just a couple years after, Authenticity released in the fall of 2010. The songs in the album are soulful, smooth pacing, and has a slight electronic tune playing as a background. All of which was sung and rapped by lead singer Phonte, while the rhythm and beats were conducted by Nicolay. The song "The last fall" starts slow paced with soft drum beats as Phonte's voice comes up as the lead. A collision of drums begins in the middle with several electronic piano notes accompanied with a chorus of male voices. The song plays a theme of a bad break up that leaves the singer saying it's "The last time that I will ever fall in love again". He explains how there was no real love in his ex's relationship. He keeps telling himself that he'll never love again when there was no love in the first place. "And I feel like a fool for missing something that was never there." Ultimately, the song was very soulful, raw, but the beat in collision with the voices made the singers lyrics/message somewhat unclear.
However the song "Maybe she'll dream of me" made a new turn in the ordinary R&B form Foreign Exchange always did. It starts with a smooth pacing boom bap and clap as Phonte enters into the song. Phonte talks about a girl he's dreaming over, one who may be out of his league but he can't help fantasizing her. The girl he loves has a bad past with former loves in her life and she's not entirely open for another relationship, but Phonte encourages her that he's not those other guys. "But you can try and tell yourself it's all a game, I know you been only wishing for a love that goes the distance." The song holds a male acapella in the background with a rap verse in the end. This song seems to be the best from the other tracks in the album, making you want to sway side to side and sing with him.
Overall, the album is impressive, but a little slow in pace and lacks in actually dragging the listener into the song. It's hard to exactly interpret what the singer is saying. They have plenty of good beats, just not good as a duo. This would be rated a 3.
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