The one and only Phonte Lyshod Coleman was born on December 28, 1978, in Greensboro, NC. He was part of the rap group Little Brother with fellow emcee Big Pooh. Their early work was produced by 9th Wonder and later Justus League and Khrysis among others.
He’s also half of the duo The Foreign Exchange with Dutch producer Nicolay. The two met on chat boards at The Roots’ website OkayPlayer.com and notoriously completed an album without ever meeting in person. He has solo projects as well.
Phonte has worked with artists including Drake, The Roots, Royce da 5’9″, Mac Miller, and others. His style is comprised of witty wordplay and a strong singing voice, primarily on hooks. He’s been active in the rap world since 1998 as a student at North Carolina Central University. Some of his notable works include Little Brother’s The Listening and The Foreign Exchange’s Connected among numerous other albums and features.
