Phonte Coleman of the defunct North Carolina rap duo
Little Brother wears many hats: singer/songwriter, rapper, and, occasionally, comedian. Over the course of his career, it’s been questionable which he wears best -- the adult contemporary/R&B outfit
the Foreign Exchange pairs Netherlands producer
Nicolay’s warmly acoustic, Moog-driven production with
Phonte’s swooning singing vocals, which is quite a contrast from his aggressive, loosely percussive delivery as an MC over the hard-hitting boom-bap production of venerable hip-hop producer
9th Wonder. After three tremendous consecutive albums with
the Foreign Exchange, his debut solo outing,
Charity Starts at Home, is a well-balanced marriage of all of
Phonte’s musical inclinations.
Phonte the singer, who gravitates to poignant love ballads, and
Phonte the MC, who tends to relatable perspectives of family life and the working class, coexist here. It comes across as naturally human with a comedic twist, something that
Phonte has always been good at. His brash sense of humor on "Sendin My Love" turns the internal conflicts of a married man into satire, while
Phonte admits “I do this all for hip-hop! I’m lying like sh*t. I do this for my bills” on the album’s opening track, "Dance in the Reign."
Phonte also reunites with former fellow group member
9th Wonder on several occasions, namely on the standout "Not Here Anymore" (featuring rapper extraordinaire
eLZhi) and an epic sample of
Rose Royce's classic "Love Don’t Live Here Anymore."
Phonte doesn’t stray too far from swooning R&B, though, as he sings a sentimental number over
Zo!'s smooth piano riffs on "To Be Yours" and floats in anticipation on the ethereal duet "Gonna Be a Beautiful Night" with Carlita Durand.
Charity Starts at Home proves that none of
Phonte’s talents are obsolete and he can merge all of them into one cohesive project that’s as much of a treat as any of his other endeavors, if not more.