View source for Phonte

{{short description|American rapper, singer, and producer}}
{{redirect|No News Is Good News|the New Found Glory song|Catalyst (New Found Glory album)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Phonte Coleman
|image = Phonte The Foreign Exchange.jpg
|caption = Phonte in 2011
|birth_name = Phonte Lyshod Coleman
|alias = Percy Miracles
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|12|28}}
|birth_place = [[Lumberton, North Carolina]], U.S.
|genre = {{hlist|[[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]|[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]}}
|occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter|producer|podcaster}}
|years_active = 1998–present
|label = Foreign Exchange Music
|current_member_of = {{hlist|[[Little Brother (group)|Little Brother]]|[[The Foreign Exchange]]}}
|past_member_of = [[Justus League]]
|website = 
}}

'''Phonte Lyshod Coleman''',<ref>{{cite web|title=5th & Fashion (skit)|url=http://uk.warnerchappell.com/song-details/WW009987521000|website=Warnerchappell.com|publisher=Warner/Chappell Music|access-date=September 20, 2015}}</ref> known mononymously as '''Phonte''' (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, and producer. He is also a member of Team Supreme, that co-hosts the [[Questlove Supreme]] podcast.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Setaro |first1=Shawn |title=The Story of 'Questlove Supreme': Low-Key Flexes and the Magic Circle |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/shawn-setaro/questlove-supreme-podcast-interview |publisher=Complex |date=16 April 2019}}</ref>

Phonte is a member of the [[North Carolina]] hip-hop trio/duo [[Little Brother (group)|Little Brother]] (revived in 2019 without producer [[9th Wonder]]) and one-half of the duo [[The Foreign Exchange]]. He has also recorded [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]-flavored output as a singer (often under the pseudonym '''Percy Miracles'''), and with Nicolay on The Foreign Exchange.

==Career==
===Little Brother===
{{main|Little Brother (group)}}
Phonte first met the other members of Little Brother, rapper [[Big Pooh]] and producer [[9th Wonder]], in 1998 while attending [[North Carolina Central University]], as an [[English major]].<ref name=mvremix /> The three shared common musical interests and decided to form a group. "Speed", the group's first song recorded together, led to them signing a deal with the independent ABB Records, and recording their debut album, ''[[The Listening (Little Brother album)|The Listening]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hale |first1=Andreas |title=Phonte Talks New Album 'No News Is Good News,' Growth as a Lyricist & If Little Brother Will Ever Reunite |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/phonte-interview-no-news-is-good-news-little-brother-8236067/ |access-date=7 October 2023 |publisher=Billboard |date=7 March 2018}}</ref> The album's success led to the group signing a non-exclusive deal with [[Atlantic Records]].

The group's 2005 album, ''[[The Minstrel Show]]'', was a concept album dealing with themes including the current state of hip hop music. The album received positive reviews, without commercial success. During the recording of their third album, the group announced the departure of 9th Wonder on amicable terms, as well as a parting of ways with their label. Through a contractual clause they returned to ABB Records and released ''[[Getback]]'' in late 2007.

===The Foreign Exchange===
Phonte met Dutch producer [[Nicolay (musician)|Nicolay]] virtually on an OkayPlayer message board. The duo released their debut album, ''[[Connected (The Foreign Exchange album)|Connected]]'', having never met face to face.  The Foreign Exchange has released four albums. The group received a Grammy nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Daykeeper" (featuring Muhsinah) from the second album, ''[[Leave It All Behind (album)|Leave It All Behind]]''.

===Solo work===
Phonte has appeared on numerous records by other artists as a vocalist. His lyrics tend to include perspectives on working-class life.<ref name=mvremix>{{cite web|url=http://www.mvremix.com/urban/interviews/littlebrother.shtml|title=MVRemix Urban Interviews Phonte of Little Brother – Online Rap Magazine|website=Mvremix.com|access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> Phonte made a guest appearance on the song "Beats N' Rhymes" from producer [[Kev Brown]]'s album "I Do What I Do", and has also recorded tracked with producer Oddisee, both members of the Washington D.C. (DMV)-based [[Low Budget (collective)|Low Budget collective]]. In 2006, he was featured on producer [[DJ Shadow]]'s ''[[The Outsider (DJ Shadow album)|The Outsider]]'' album. In the following year he contributed vocals to rap group [[Playaz Circle]]'s song "Paper Chaser", from their album ''[[Supply & Demand (Playaz Circle album)|Supply & Demand]]''. Phonte's recent projects include The Foreign Exchange's third album, ''[[Authenticity (Foreign Exchange album)|Authenticity]]'', as well as a collaboration (as Tiggalo) with Detroit-based musician Zo! titled '' Zo! & Tigallo Love the 80s''. ''Zo! & Tigallo Love the 80s'' is a homage to early 1980s [[R&B]] and pop music and features covers of popular songs such as [[a-Ha]]'s "[[Take On Me]]", [[Toto (band)|Toto]]'s "[[Africa (Toto song)|Africa]]", and [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]'s "[[Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson song)|Stepping Out]]". He appeared on [[Danny!]]'s 2012 album ''[[Payback (album)|Payback]]'' as well as [[RJD2]]'s ''[[More Is Than Isn't]]'' in the following year.

He released his solo-debut titled ''[[Charity Starts at Home]]'' on September 27, 2011 through FE Music.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=phontigallo|author=Phonte|number=65995548016123904|date=May 5, 2011|title=Phonte. Charity Starts at Home. 09/13/11. #FEMusic.}}</ref> His second album, ''No News Is Good News'', was released on March 2, 2018, and was included in ''[[Bandcamp|Bandcamp Daily]]''<nowiki/>'s best-100-albums-of-2018 year-end list (placed at #42).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-10 |title=The Best Albums of 2018: #100 – 81 |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/best-of-2018/the-best-bandcamp-albums-of-2018-100-81 |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=Bandcamp Daily}}</ref> Phonte also featured on the track "No Wish" by [[Black Milk]], along with Raphael Saadiq.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gee |first1=Andre |title=Phonte Gets Poignantly Vulnerable On Black Milk's "No Wish" |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/black-milk-no-wish-syntk-1234793377/ |access-date=7 October 2023 |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=21 July 2023}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;" | Album details
! scope="col" colspan="2" style="width:5em;"| Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref name="US-albums">{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Phonte|chart=Billboard 200}} |title=Phonte – Chart history: Billboard 200 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="US-R&B-albums">{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Phonte|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Albums B}} |title=Phonte – Chart history: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Charity Starts at Home]]'' 
|
* Released: September 27, 2011
* Label: [[The Foreign Exchange#Foreign Exchange Music|Foreign Exchange Music]]
* Format: CD, [[LP (record)|LP]], digital download
| 61 || 9
|-
! scope="row" | ''No News Is Good News'' 
|
* Released: March 2, 2018
* Label: Foreign Exchange Music
* Format: CD, [[LP (record)|LP]], digital download
| — || —
|}

===Collaborative albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of collaborative albums, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;" | Album details
! scope="col" colspan="2" style="width:5em;"| Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref name="US-albums"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="US-R&B-albums"/>
|-
! scope="row" | ''Love the 80's''<br>{{small|(with Zo! as Zo! & Tigallo)}}
|
* Released: July 22, 2008
* Label: [[Hall of Justus]]
* Format: CD, digital download
| — || —
|-
! scope="row" | ''Tigallerro''<br>{{small|(with [[Eric Roberson]])}}
|
* Released: July 22, 2016
* Label: Foreign Exchange Music
* Format: CD, digital download
| — || 19
|-
| colspan="14" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

===Extended plays===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:18em;"| Album details
|-
! scope="row" | ''Pacific Time''
|
* Released: March 29, 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=Stream Phonte's Surprise New EP 'Pacific Time' |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/listen-phontes-surprise-new-ep-pacific-time.html |website=OkayPlayer}}</ref>
* Label: The Foreign Exchange Music
* Format: Digital download
|}

=== With Little Brother ===
{{main|Little Brother discography}}
* ''[[The Listening (Little Brother album)|The Listening]]'' (2003)
* ''[[The Minstrel Show]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Getback]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Leftback LP|Leftback]]'' (2010)
* ''[[May the Lord Watch]]'' (2019)

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

===Guest appearances===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of guest appearances
! style="width:20em;" | Title
! Year
! Other performer(s)
! Album
|-
! scope="row"| "The Animal"
| rowspan="1"| 2004
| [[Murs (rapper)|Murs]]
| ''[[Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Every Block"
| rowspan="3"| 2005
| [[Rapper Big Pooh]]
| ''[[Sleepers (album)|Sleepers]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Make It Hot"
| [[The Away Team (group)|The Away Team]], Joe Scudda
| ''[[National Anthem (album)|National Anthem]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Birdz (Fly the Coup)"
| [[Buckshot (rapper)|Buckshot]], [[9th Wonder]], Keisha Shontelle
| ''[[Chemistry (Buckshot and 9th Wonder album)|Chemistry]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Backstage Girl"
| rowspan="2"| 2006
| [[DJ Shadow]]
| ''[[The Outsider (DJ Shadow album)|The Outsider]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "4Everyday"
| Liquid Spirits
| ''Liquid Spirits''
|-
! scope="row"| "Let It Be Known"
| rowspan="6" | 2007
| [[Sean Price]]
| ''[[Jesus Price Supastar]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Been in Love"
| [[Eric Roberson]]
| ''...Left''
|-
! scope="row"| "Letyourselfgo"
| [[Evidence (musician)|Evidence]], [[The Alchemist (musician)|The Alchemist]]
| ''[[The Weatherman LP]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Alright With Me"
| Dminor, Keelay & Zaire
| ''Ridin' High''
|-
! scope="row"| "Think Good Thoughts"
| [[Drake (musician)|Drake]], [[Elzhi]]
| ''[[Comeback Season (mixtape)|Comeback Season]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Yellow Lines"
| [[CunninLynguists]], [[Witchdoctor (rapper)|Witchdoctor]]
| ''[[Dirty Acres]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "The Time Is Now"
| rowspan="6"| 2008
| [[Jean Grae]]
| ''[[Jeanius]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Callin' Me"
| [[Symbolyc One (S1)|S1]]
| ''Music Box''
|-
! scope="row"| "Close Call"
| [[88-Keys]]
| ''[[The Death of Adam]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
| Evidence, [[Blu (rapper)|Blu]], [[will.i.am]]
| ''[[The Layover EP]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "The Perch"
| [[Oddisee]], Tor
| rowspan="2"| ''101''
|-
! scope="row"| "All Because She's Gone"
| Oddisee
|-
! scope="row"| "True Love"
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| [[Apathy (rapper)|Apathy]]
| ''[[Wanna Snuggle?]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Something 2 Ride 2"
| [[Royce da 5'9"]]
| ''[[Street Hop]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Best of Times"
| rowspan="8"| 2010
| [[Strong Arm Steady]]
| ''[[In Search of Stoney Jackson]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Cry Over You"
| [[Yahzarah]]
| ''[[The Ballad of Purple St. James]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "How High"
| [[Rhymefest]]
| ''[[El Che (album)|El Che]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Now or Never"
| [[The Roots]], [[Dice Raw]]
| rowspan="2"| ''[[How I Got Over (album)|How I Got Over]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "The Day"
| The Roots, Blu, Patty Crash
|-
! scope="row"| "Greater Than the Sun"
| Zo!
| rowspan="3"| ''SunStorm''
|-
! scope="row"| "Say How You Feel"
| Zo!, Carlitta Durand
|-
! scope="row"| "Flight of the Blackbyrd"
| Zo!
|-
! scope="row"| "I'll Be There"
| rowspan="12"| 2011
| [[Mac Miller]]
| ''[[Best Day Ever (mixtape)|Best Day Ever]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Black Hand Side"
| [[Pharoahe Monch]], [[Styles P]]
| ''[[W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "One Time"
| [[Rapsody]], Tab-One, Charlie Smarts
| ''Thank H.E.R. Now''
|-
! scope="row"| "Babble"
| [[The Physics (music group)|The Physics]]
| ''Love Is a Business''
|-
! scope="row"| "Take a Chance"
| Median
| rowspan="3"|''The Sender''
|-
! scope="row"| "Turn Ya On"
| Median, Big Remo
|-
! scope="row"| "Special"
| Median, Yahzarah, [[Bahamadia]]
|-
! scope="row"| "Band Practice Pt. 2"
| 9th Wonder, Median
| rowspan="2"|''[[The Wonder Years (9th Wonder album)|The Wonder Years]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "One Night"
| 9th Wonder, [[Terrace Martin]], Bird & The Midnight Falcons
|-
! scope="row"| "See U Later"
| The Away Team
| ''[[Scars & Stripes]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Picture Perfect"
| Eric Roberson
| ''Mister Nice Guy''
|-
! scope="row"| "One Time"
| The Roots, Dice Raw
| ''[[Undun]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "I'll Be Around"
| rowspan="3"| 2012
| [[Brother Ali]], [[Stokley Williams]]
| ''The Bite Marked Heart''
|-
! scope="row"| "Goodbye"
| [[JR & PH7]], [[Median]]
| ''[[The Goodlife]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Afro Blue (9th Wonder's Blue Light Basement Remix)"
| [[Robert Glasper Experiment]], [[Erykah Badu]]
| ''[[Black Radio#Black Radio Recovered: The Remix EP|Black Radio Recovered: The Remix EP]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Making Time"
| rowspan="5"| 2013
| Zo!, Choklate
| rowspan="3"| ''ManMade''
|-
! scope="row"| "ManMade"
| Zo!
|-
! scope="row"| "Out in the World"
| Zo!, Choklate
|-
! scope="row"| "Jedi Code"
| Rapsody, [[Jay Electronica]]
| ''She Got Game''
|-
! scope="row"| "Temperamental"
| [[RJD2]]
| ''[[More Is Than Isn't]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "No Competition"
| rowspan="2"| 2014
| [[Talib Kweli]], Elzhi
| ''9th Wonder Presents Jamla Is the Squad''
|-
! scope="row"| "A Matter of the Heart"
| [[Jesse Boykins III]]
| ''Love Apparatus''
|-
! scope="row"| "Requiem"
| rowspan="4"| 2015
| Oddisee
| ''Persona''
|-
! scope="row"| "Impayshunt"
| [[Mr. Porter|dEnAuN]]
| ''sTuFf in My BaCkPaCk''
|-
! scope="row"| "Finer Things"
| [[M.E.D. (rapper)|MED]], Blu, [[Madlib]], Likewise
| ''[[Bad Neighbor (album)|Bad Neighbor]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Highs and Lows"
| [[PRhyme]], [[MF Doom]]
| ''[[PRhyme|PRhyme (Deluxe Version)]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Clap Shit Up"
| rowspan="4"| 2016
| [[Torae]]
| ''[[Entitled (album)|Entitled]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Violets"
| [[Miles Davis]], [[Robert Glasper]]
| ''Everything's Beautiful''
|-
! scope="row"| "One Too Many"
| [[Kaytranada]]
| ''[[99.9%]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Treat You Right"
| [[Mickey Factz]], [[Nottz]]
| ''The Achievement: circa '82''
|-
! scope="row"| "Invitation"
| rowspan="1"| 2017
| JR & PH7, St. Joe Louis, Tamisha Waden
| ''Coral Cadavers''
|-
! scope="row"| "Donuts"
| rowspan="1"| 2018
| [[Andy Mineo]]
| ''[[The Sword]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Woke as Me"
| rowspan="1"| 2019
| [[Open Mike Eagle]]
|-
! scope="row"| "Blackberry"
| rowspan="2"| 2020
| Carlitta Durand
| ''Kismet Green''
|-
! scope="row"| "Uzbekistan"
| [[Your Old Droog]], [[Mach-Hommy]]
| ''Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition''
|-
! scope="row"| "Who"
| rowspan="2"| 2021
| [[Topaz Jones]], Maxo
| ''Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma''
|-
! scope="row"| "Be Mine"
| Emmavie, Saint Ezekiel
| ''What's a Diamond to a Baby''
|-
! scope="row"| "Choices"
| rowspan="3"| 2023
| [[Oddisee]], BeMyFiasco, Kay Young
| ''To What End''
|-
! scope="row"| "Otherside"
| Rory, BeMyFiasco
| ''I Thought It'd Be Different''
|-
! scope="row"| "No Wish"
| [[Black Milk]], [[Raphael Saadiq]]
| ''Everybody Good?''
|-
! scope="row"| "You Don't Know"
| rowspan="1"| 2024
| [[Lalah Hathaway]]
| ''VANTABLACK''
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Phonte}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120416024602/http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/phonte--bro-where-art-though Phonte RBMA video lecture session]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081028095436/http://leisurelab.com/2008/10/24/interview-with-nicolay-and-phonte-of-the-foreign-exchange/ Interview with Phonte and Nicolay at Leisure Lab]

{{Little Brother}}
{{The Foreign Exchange}}
{{Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a TV Show/Limited Series}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American male rappers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male rappers]]
[[Category:Rappers from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Singers from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Record producers from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Musicians from Durham, North Carolina]]
[[Category:American hip-hop singers]]
[[Category:American contemporary R&B singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American singers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:The Foreign Exchange members]]
[[Category:Little Brother (group) members]]
[[Category:Justus League members]]