Phonte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phonte Coleman
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Phonte in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Phonte Lyshod Coleman |
| Also known as | Percy Miracles |
| Born | December 28, 1978 Lumberton, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Foreign Exchange Music |
Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known simply as Phonte, was born on December 28, 1978. He is an American rapper, singer, and music producer. He also does voice acting. Phonte is part of the hip-hop group Little Brother and the music duo The Foreign Exchange. His music mixes different styles like R&B, hip-hop, house, and electronic music.
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Phonte's Early Life and Education
Phonte Coleman was born in Lumberton, North Carolina. He grew up in Red Springs, North Carolina, and later moved to Greensboro, North Carolina around 1987 or 1988. As a child, he sang in a church choir. In middle school, he started playing the trumpet and even joined the North Carolina All-State Band. Phonte also played football in high school. He continued playing as a fullback for two years at North Carolina Central University, where he studied English.
Phonte's Music Career
What is Little Brother?
Little Brother is an underground hip-hop group. It was formed by Phonte, rapper Big Pooh, and producer 9th Wonder. The group members met in 1998 while they were all students at North Carolina Central University. They shared a love for similar music and decided to create a group together.
Their first song, "Speed," helped them get a record deal with ABB Records in 2002. They then recorded their first album, The Listening. Fans on the website Okayplayer really liked the album. Because of its success, the group signed a deal with Atlantic Records in 2004.
In 2005, Little Brother released their album The Minstrel Show. This album was a concept album, meaning it had a main idea, which was a fake TV network called "UBN." The album used satire to comment on how Black artists were sometimes shown in entertainment. Even though it got good reviews, it didn't sell a lot of copies.
Later, while working on their third album, 9th Wonder left the group. They also left Atlantic Records. They went back to ABB Records and released Getback in late 2007. Getback was their first album as a duo, with just Phonte and Big Pooh. In 2010, they released their fourth album, Leftback. In 2023, a documentary film called May the Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story was released, telling the group's history.
What is The Foreign Exchange?
Phonte also formed a duo called The Foreign Exchange with Dutch producer Nicolay. They first met online on an Okayplayer message board. They released their first album, Connected, in 2004, even before they had ever met in person!
Their second album, Leave It All Behind, came out in 2008. The song "Daykeeper" from this album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Their third album, Authenticity, was released on October 12, 2010. It reached number 145 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US.
In 2013, they released their fourth album, Love in Flying Colors. A song from this album, "Better," was even featured on Barack Obama’s 2022 music playlist. They continued to release music with Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey in 2015 and Hide&Seek in 2017.
Phonte's Solo Music Projects
Phonte has also released two albums on his own. He has also sung on many songs by other artists. His songs often talk about everyday life and the experiences of working people.
His first solo album, Charity Starts at Home, was released on September 27, 2011. His second album, No News Is Good News, came out on March 2, 2018. No News Is Good News was named one of the top 100 albums of 2018 by Bandcamp Daily.
Phonte's Work in TV and Other Media
Phonte is also a talented voice actor and has created music for TV shows and movies. He did voice acting and composed music for the animated TV series The Boondocks and Black Dynamite. He also worked with DJ Premier to compose songs for the TV series The Breaks on VH1 in 2016 and 2017. He even appeared in some episodes of The Breaks as a character named “Imam Ali.” In 2017, he did voice acting for a commercial that honored Russell Westbrook's NBA Most Valuable Player award win.
Phonte has written several raps for characters on Sesame Street. This includes a song called "Gratitude" that he performed with Elmo for SZA’s appearance on the show. He also wrote other songs like “Apple vs. Banana” and “BBQ vs. Hike.” From 2016 to 2025, he was part of "Team Supreme" and co-hosted Questlove's podcast, Questlove Supreme. This podcast won six Webby Awards and was named Music Podcast of the Year in 2023 at the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards.
Phonte's Awards and Nominations
Phonte has been recognized for his musical talents:
- He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the song "Daykeeper" with The Foreign Exchange, featuring Muhsinah.
- In 2024, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album as a vocalist on "Vantablack" by Lalah Hathaway.
See also
- The Foreign Exchange
- Little Brother (group)
- Questlove Supreme
