R&B Sad to be saying this. Foreign Exchange gradually has become wack as fukk.

[thatrapsfan]

I liked it...video was dope to me. Had a quick listen on NPR and liked what I heard but gonna give it a second one soon.

 

[Grizzly]

Already listened to the new joint multiple times. shyt is fire.

 

[JoelB]

Tiggalo just having fun outcheah brehs

 

[Hades]

I haven't liked anything they have done since Authenticity. There were maybe three songs that I revisited before I put that album on ice. I wish that wasn't the case. It's wild how Connected into Leave It All Behind was such a one two combination of hip hop then R&B but Authenticity and beyond has been underwhelming project after underwhelming project. I haven't even been interested in Nicolay's third installment of the City Lights series which is something that I always looked forward to.

Speaking of The Foreign Exchange, I just copped the Time:Line Extended Edition which I forgot existed because it was only available digitally. This joint is 36 tracks including the OG Time:Line LP, The instrumentals and a gang of bonus tracks. It's great to have these instrumentals on one of the more underrated Nicolay collaboration albums. I probably won't give this LP a chance because they have let me down too many times before.

 

[DJ Mart-Kos]

Nicolay really is a genius.
When he dropped City Lights 2 his sound changed drastically and City Lights 3 is very similar in style even to this day.
Even though i had more fun listening to City Lights 1 i do recognize City Lights 2 being way more musical and on a higher level than City Lights 1.
He proved to me that he's 1 of the best producers in any music genre period.

 

[Hades]

Nicolay really is a genius.
When he dropped City Lights 2 his sound changed drastically and City Lights 3 is very similar in style even to this day.
Even though i had more fun listening to City Lights 1 i do recognize City Lights 2 being way more musical and on a higher level than City Lights 1.
He proved to me that he's 1 of the best producers in any music genre period.

I agree with you on Nicolay being an exemplary producer. I was tight until I was able to get a copy of the Connected Instrumentals. It took me forever to track down City Lights 1.5. I opted to get that one since it have a few more tracks than CL 1. I love CL 2 like no other. He killed the Shibuya theme. I listened to that album heavy when it dropped. I also have a huge appreciate for the live version with The Hot At Nights. Seeing them perform it live is a great memory of mine. Based on your post, I am going to check out CL 3.

 

[steadyrighteous]

Nicolay really is a genius.
When he dropped City Lights 2 his sound changed drastically and City Lights 3 is very similar in style even to this day.
Even though i had more fun listening to City Lights 1 i do recognize City Lights 2 being way more musical and on a higher level than City Lights 1.
He proved to me that he's 1 of the best producers in any music genre period.

I agree with you on Nicolay being an exemplary producer. I was tight until I was able to get a copy of the Connected Instrumentals. It took me forever to track down City Lights 1.5. I opted to get that one since it have a few more tracks than CL 1. I love CL 2 like no other. He killed the Shibuya theme. I listened to that album heavy when it dropped. I also have a huge appreciate for the live version with The Hot At Nights. Seeing them perform it live is a great memory of mine. Based on your post, I am going to check out CL 3.

Y'all are literally brining back memories, man. Nicoaly, Phonte and LB played a big part of my late teens.

I was literally in Paris listening to almost nothing but City Lights 1.5, Connected and Here.

When I listen to "Raw Life", "So Far", "Adore", "My Story" and "Let's Move" etc., I can literally remember the feeling of pulling up in the taxi with my family looking up at the Eiffel Tower for the first time.



I'm probably not the biggest fan of what FE has become, but for those times alone, Nicolay will always be the fukkin' man to me.

 

[DJ Mart-Kos]

Y'all are literally brining back memories, man. Nicoaly, Phonte and LB played a big part of my late teens.

I was literally in Paris listening to almost nothing but City Lights 1.5, Connected and Here.

When I listen to "Raw Life", "So Far", "Adore", "My Story" and "Let's Move" etc., I can literally remember the feeling of pulling up in the taxi with my family looking up at the Eiffel Tower for the first time.



I'm probably not the biggest fan of what FE has become, but for those times alone, Nicolay will always be the fukkin' man to me.

Exactly, same for me.

 

[muzikfrk75]

Nicolay really is a genius.
When he dropped City Lights 2 his sound changed drastically and City Lights 3 is very similar in style even to this day.
Even though i had more fun listening to City Lights 1 i do recognize City Lights 2 being way more musical and on a higher level than City Lights 1.
He proved to me that he's 1 of the best producers in any music genre period.

City Lights 2 is so dope....it used to be my go-to workout music

 

[thaKEAF]

They finally put up the mp3 download for those who pre-ordered. Album sounds really good don't let the single fool you.

 

[wire28]

yall tryna pretend like phonte aint always been a goofball. he just having fun out here. im more mad he keep getting bigger, he probably bigger than pooh now dont even ask me how

i like the song though. video probably is a little corny but album still probably gonna be fire tho

 

[Hades]

Not really feeling Soweto. Somewhat falls apart for me after the sun rising song. On the bright side, I'm revisiting much of Nicolay's work and getting back into the groove.

 

[aceboon]

I had given the stream a few listens to get a feel for the album, rocked the official HQ on the way to work this morning and this shyt is dope as hell. Its getting a lot of posting reviews as well, "Authenticity" is still the only misstep IMO, while I would love to see Phonte put out another "Connected" type album I like what FE has evolved to.

 

[DJ Mart-Kos]

I had given the stream a few listens to get a feel for the album, rocked the official HQ on the way to work this morning and this shyt is dope as hell. Its getting a lot of posting reviews as well, "Authenticity" is still the only misstep IMO, while I would love to see Phonte put out another "Connected" type album I like what FE has evolved to.

Same here. I think they on a higher level technically these days but if it really sounds better. Not to me.

 

[Hades]

Is Phonte in charge of FE? I'm trying to figure out who makes the final decisions.

"Holland" is the third installment in the City Lights series and will drop sometime in 2012. Gyeah!

(facebook/NicolayMusic/posts/10150251350880653)
I don't remember hearing anything about this. I wonder if he actually made songs for it or just had the idea.

So, City Lights Vol. 2 is Shibuya and Vol. 3 is Soweto. Which city or area is City Lights Vol. 1 based on/influenced by?

Even though I never fully specified it as such, Vol. 1.5 is loosely inspired by New York City.

(facebook/NicolayMusic/photos/a.10150106777100653.283858.9872270652/10152822938085653/?type=1&comment_id=10152827205600653&offset=0&total_comments=70&comment_tracking={%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22})

Then I saw this:

Hello!

First and foremost, I am so thankful to have been blessed with the most forward-thinking, open-minded fan base that any artist can hope for. My people, having grown along with me over the past few years as I explored various musical landscapes, know to put trust in the fact that no matter where I take it next musically, I am doing so while following my heart and soul and chasing my own ideal of what good music should be.

But after more than a decade of blazing trails and pushing boundaries, there are still those that are clamoring for a second "Connected" album.

Why >those< fans are still around is truly beyond me; yet, like the chorus in a Greek tragedy, they still follow us around, looking for the next opportunity to voice their ongoing disappointment.

I suppose that they hold out hope that I have merely been sidetracked; that the music that I have been releasing since 2008, including four albums by The Foreign Exchange and two solo albums, was just a fluke. A "temporary insanity". Some of those fans express themselves politely. Others go completely overboard and, bolstered by the relative anonymity of the internet, use the most offensive language to make the point that our current music is not up to par with their expectations.

To those fans I say today, move on. It's time for you to leave. It's time for you to stop leaving bad reviews on iTunes and Amazon to try and bring our ratings down. It's time for you to stop coming to my concerts only to ask why we are not playing more material from "Connected". Like all of those other albums never happened.

This is not a manifesto. In fact, this will be the very last time that I address this issue in public ever again, because it really doesn't have anything to do with >music<. It has to do with "nostalgia".

This is merely to unequivocally and unapologeticaly state that we >will< keep pushing forward.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thank you for listening.

One love,
Nicolay

(facebook/NicolayMusic/posts/10152953253710653) I really have always hated how they are so adamant about espousing how they have "moved on" from Hip Hop. Especially Phonte.

And let's not make this into more than it is. Yes, Connected can be considered a Hip Hop album, but it's not like it's Mobb Deep or WuTang Clan. Yes, it has Raw Life but it also has the End Theme which pre-shadows all of our housey and electronic stuff. Yes, it has The Answer but it also has Come Around which pre-shadows all of our soulful stuff, or Sincere. The Foreign Exchange has been a hybrid, experimental group from day one, and Connected was never a standard bearer of hip-hop so much as it was a melting pot of different musical influences, pre-dominantly hip-hop influenced.