Phonte and Nicolay, the respective emcee and producer behind the Foreign Exchange, have done just what their sophomore album, Leave It All Behind, alludes to. They have left it all behind, and by "it," I mean their debut, Connected, which was fresh, stylish, and absolutely fantastic. Although there are musical similarities to that album, the duo has jumped head first into more mature territory on Leave It All Behind. The playfulness that has characterized Phonte throughout his career is mostly gone in this more focused, grown-up songwriter...

It's rare that an emcee is so capable as a songwriter and it's equally as rare, today especially, that a duo with an excellent debut can follow that album up with something completely new and fantastic. Here's hoping that fans of that debut can realize Phonte and Nicolay are simply leaving Connected behind and letting it stand on its own. And, as a result, this talented duo has made one hell of an album, actually one of the best of 2008, in the process.

Read the full review [9/10]

Featured Tracks:
Daykeeper
Take Off The Blues