Phonte

Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, producer, actor, and voice over artist. He is a member of the North Carolina hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother and one-half of the duo The Foreign Exchange. His music spans multiple genres including R&B, hip-hop, house and electronic music.

Early life Phonte Coleman was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, and was raised in Red Springs, North Carolina. His family moved to Greensboro, North Carolina in 1987–1988. He grew up singing in a church choir, and played trumpet starting in middle school and participating in the North Carolina All-State Band. He also played football in high school, then as a fullback for two years at North Carolina Central University, where he was an English major.

Career

Little Brother

Little Brother is an underground hip-hop group composed of Phonte, rapper Big Pooh and producer 9th Wonder. The group met in 1998, while attending North Carolina Central University. The forums of the website Okayplayer were ignited by interest from a growing fanbase. The album's success led to the group signing a non-exclusive deal with Atlantic Records in 2004.

The group's 2005 album, The Minstrel Show, was a concept album based on a fictional television network called "UBN" (U Black Niggas Network). The album has been described as satirizing the connection between minstrel shows and stereotypical industry and self-constructions of Blackness in entertainment and advertisements. The album received positive reviews, without commercial success. During the recording of their third album, the group announced the departure of 9th Wonder, as well as a parting of ways with their label. They returned to ABB Records and released Getback in late 2007. Getback was Little Brother's first album as a duo. In 2010, they released their fourth studio album, Leftback.

In 2023, Little Brother released the documentary film, May the Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story about the group's history, which was directed by Holland Randolph Gallagher.

The Foreign Exchange

Phonte met Dutch producer Nicolay virtually on an Okayplayer message board. The duo released their debut album, Connected in 2004, having never met face to face.

Their second album, Leave It All Behind was released in 2008. The group received a Nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Daykeeper" (featuring Muhsinah) from Leave It All Behind. Their third album, Authenticity, released on October 12, 2010, peaked at number 145 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and Number 23 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Love in Flying Colors, their fourth studio album, was released in 2013. The album's track "Better" was featured on Barack Obama’s 2022 playlist. The album Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey was released in 2015. Their album Hide&Seek was released in 2017.

Solo work Phonte has released two solo albums, and has appeared on numerous records by other artists as a vocalist. His lyrics tend to include perspectives on working-class life.

He released his solo-debut titled Charity Starts at Home on September 27, 2011 on the label FE Music. His second album, No News Is Good News (FE), was released on March 2, 2018. No News Is Good News was included in Bandcamp Daily 's best-100-albums-of-2018 year-end list (placed at number 42).

TV and other media Phonte has composed music for soundtracks and TV, and is a voice over artist and actor. He did voice acting and composed music for the animated TV series, The Boondocks, as well as the series, Black Dynamite. He composed songs with DJ Premier for the TV series, The Breaks (VH1), 2016–2017. He was featured on several episodes in the role of "Imam Ali" in a script on the 1990s American music industry. He did voice acting for a commercial honoring Russell Westbrook's NBA Most Valuable Player win in 2017.

Phonte has composed multiple raps for Sesame Street characters, including a song for SZA’s Sesame Street appearance with a duet with Elmo entitled "Gratitude," in addition to other songs including "Apple vs. Banana" ft. Tavi Fields and "BBQ vs. Hike." He was a member of "Team Supreme", co-hosting Questlove's podcast, Questlove Supreme from 2016 to 2025. Questlove Supreme won six Webby Awards and the 2023 Music Podcast of the Year for the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards.

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions US USR&B Charity Starts at Home Released: September 27, 2011 Label: Foreign Exchange Music Format: CD, LP, digital download 61 9 No News Is Good News Released: March 2, 2018 Label: Foreign Exchange Music Format: CD, LP, digital download — —

Collaborative albums + List of collaborative albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions US Label: The Foreign Exchange Music Format: Digital download

With Little Brother

The Listening (2003) The Minstrel Show (2005) Getback (2007) Leftback (2010) May the Lord Watch (2019)

With The Foreign Exchange Connected (2004) Leave It All Behind (2008) Authenticity (2010) Love in Flying Colors (2013) Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey (2015)

Guest appearances + List of guest appearances Title Year Other performer(s) Album "The Animal" 2004 Murs Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition "Every Block" 2005 Rapper Big Pooh Sleepers "Make It Hot" The Away Team, Joe Scudda National Anthem "Birdz (Fly the Coup)" Buckshot, 9th Wonder, Keisha Shontelle Chemistry "Backstage Girl" 2006 DJ Shadow The Outsider "4Everyday" Liquid Spirits Liquid Spirits "Let It Be Known" 2007 Sean Price Jesus Price Supastar "Been in Love" Eric Roberson ...Left "Letyourselfgo" Evidence, The Alchemist The Weatherman LP "Alright With Me" Dminor, Keelay & Zaire Ridin' High "Think Good Thoughts" Drake, Elzhi Comeback Season "Yellow Lines" CunninLynguists, Witchdoctor Dirty Acres "The Time Is Now" 2008 Jean Grae Jeanius "Callin' Me" S1 Music Box "Close Call" 88-Keys The Death of Adam "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Evidence, Blu, will.i.am The Layover EP "The Perch" Oddisee, Tor 101 "All Because She's Gone" Oddisee "True Love" 2009 Apathy Wanna Snuggle? "Something 2 Ride 2" Royce da 5'9" Street Hop "Best of Times" 2010 Strong Arm Steady In Search of Stoney Jackson "Cry Over You" Yahzarah The Ballad of Purple St. James "How High" Rhymefest El Che "Now or Never" The Roots, Dice Raw How I Got Over "The Day" The Roots, Blu, Patty Crash "Greater Than the Sun" Zo! SunStorm "Say How You Feel" Zo!, Carlitta Durand "Flight of the Blackbyrd" Zo! "I'll Be There" 2011 Mac Miller Best Day Ever "Black Hand Side" Pharoahe Monch, Styles P W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) "One Time" Rapsody, Tab-One, Charlie Smarts Thank H.E.R. Now "Babble" The Physics Love Is a Business "Take a Chance" MedianThe Sender "Turn Ya On" Median, Big Remo "Special" Median, Yahzarah, Bahamadia "Band Practice Pt. 2" 9th Wonder, MedianThe Wonder Years "One Night" 9th Wonder, Terrace Martin, Bird & The Midnight Falcons "See U Later" The Away Team Scars & Stripes "Picture Perfect" Eric Roberson Mister Nice Guy "One Time" The Roots, Dice Raw Undun "I'll Be Around" 2012 Brother Ali, Stokley Williams The Bite Marked Heart "Goodbye" JR & PH7, Median The Goodlife "Afro Blue (9th Wonder's Blue Light Basement Remix)" Robert Glasper Experiment, Erykah Badu Black Radio Recovered: The Remix EP "Making Time" 2013 Zo!, Choklate ManMade "ManMade" Zo! "Out in the World" Zo!, Choklate "Jedi Code" Rapsody, Jay Electronica She Got Game "Temperamental" RJD2 More Is Than Isn't "No Competition" 2014 Talib Kweli, Elzhi 9th Wonder Presents Jamla Is the Squad "A Matter of the Heart" Jesse Boykins III Love Apparatus "Requiem" 2015 Oddisee Persona "Impayshunt" dEnAuN sTuFf in My BaCkPaCk "Finer Things" MED, Blu, Madlib, Likewise Bad Neighbor "Highs and Lows" PRhyme, MF Doom PRhyme (Deluxe Version) "Clap Shit Up" 2016 Torae Entitled "Violets" Miles Davis, Robert Glasper Everything's Beautiful "One Too Many" Kaytranada 99.9% "Treat You Right" Mickey Factz, Nottz The Achievement: circa '82 "Invitation" 2017 JR & PH7, St. Joe Louis, Tamisha Waden Coral Cadavers "Donuts" 2018 Andy Mineo The Sword "Woke as Me" 2019 Open Mike Eagle "Blackberry" 2020 Carlitta Durand Kismet Green "Uzbekistan" Your Old Droog, Mach-Hommy Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition "Who" 2021 Topaz Jones, Maxo Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma "Be Mine" Emmavie, Saint Ezekiel What's a Diamond to a Baby "Choices" 2023 Oddisee, BeMyFiasco, Kay Young To What End "Otherside" Rory, BeMyFiasco I Thought It'd Be Different "No Wish" Black Milk, Raphael Saadiq Everybody Good? "You Don't Know" 2024 Lalah Hathaway VANTABLACK

Awards and nominations Nomination, Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Daykeeper," with The Foreign Exchange, featuring Muhsinah, from Leave It All Behind Nomination, Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, Vocalist, on "Vantablack" by Lalah Hathaway, 2024