Originally hailing from the Netherlands, Nicolay launched his career as we know it in the early 2000s, when he was sharing files over the Internet with Phonte Coleman from Little Brother. Their remote international collaboration resulted in the group Foreign Exchange, an ahead of its time side project that eventually brought Nicolay to the states and would lead to several albums, consistent touring around the globe, his own Foreign Exchange Music record label, and a Grammy nomination for the group’s second album Leave it All Behind – and they’ve done it all independently and playing by their own rules. Nicolay has also released his own albums – both instrumental and with other vocalists – and has built his brand around a refusal to conform to one sound or style. In this episode, we break down these songs:

"There's No Guarantee" ('City Lights Volume 1.5', 2005)

"Nic's Groove" (Foreign Exchange 'Connected', 2004)

"A New World" ('A New World', 2020)

"Behind Your Door" (w/ The Hot At Nights, 'Glaciers', 2018)

"Laughing At Your Plans" (Foreign Exchange 'Authenticity', 2010)

"What It Used To Be" feat Wiz Khalifa ('Here', 2006)

"Asking For a Friend" (Foreign Exchange, 'Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey', 2015)

Nicolay/Foreign Exchange:

foreignexchangemusic.com

cantknocktheshuffle.com

questionshiphop.com

instagram.com/seandammit

twitter.com/seandammit

Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com

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