Representative of how the Internet can aid in creating music,
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 the song "Light It Up" appeared shortly after as the B-side to "Whatever You Say" off
Little Brother's 2003 album,
The Listening. Relying mainly on Instant Messenger and email, the duo continued to work together, with
Nicolay sending beats to
Phonte, who would add vocals and send them back until they had enough tracks together to form an album. Not once during the entire process of making their debut,
Connected, which came out in 2004, did the members of
the Foreign Exchange speak over the phone or in person. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide