Tag Archives: The Foreign Exchange

Questlove/The Foreign Exchange/Zo!/Carlitta Durand EXCLUSIVE!

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Let’s get down to business immediately… I want to drop something new on y’all today. The night before our vacation to Bermuda a couple weeks ago, Phonte hit me up at about 1am and passed me this joint to play on. He was telling me that Questlove had flipped Prince’s “Take Me With You” and that he and Carlitta Durand also did their own take on the lyrics…. Dope. I sent my parts back, Nicolay finished it up while we were gone and now we have a 5-person collaborative effort in tribute to the living legend himself….

PURPLE FLIP [right click and save to download MP3 file]


Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson– Drums, Samples

Nicolay– Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano

Zo!– Moog synth, additional rhodes

Phonte and Carlitta Durand– Vocals

This is the first in a series of random goodies that we will be periodically dropping off in your mailboxes. (Who loves ya, baby?)

We recorded this over a month ago specifically for a ?uestlove tribute party dedicated to The Purple One himself. Other than passing it off to a few DJ friends who vowed to keep it on some secret squirrel, “bet you aint up on THIS!” status, no one has ever heard it. In the wake of the incredible loss we suffered on June 25 however, this joint took on somewhat of a deeper meaning.

We decided to share it with our fans not only as a token of appreciation, but also as a way of paying respect to one of our last living musical geniuses.

Let’s not wait until tragedy strikes before we show love and gratitude to our heroes, people. Give them their flowers while they live.

This one’s for you, Mr. Nelson. You are loved and appreciated.

Enjoy!

One Love,

‘Tay and Nic

Enjoy this one!…

The Foreign Exchange in Detroit – 06.04.09

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I’ll be honest, I was really looking forward to going back home for the second time in a matter of about 10 days to play a show with Foreign Exchange. Ever since we started playing together in November, I have been asked in just about EVERY city we have played in, “When are y’all playing in the D?” With the way things have been looking economically here recently, I had absolutely NO answer for that question. Well, we finally got a show back home at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History – which, until recently I had no idea that they even held performances there. 

Anyway, me, Omar and Biscuit arrived in Detroit in the morning and I drove them up to the house. It was already weird to see my D.C. kats in my hometown, much less kickin it at the house. Then, I took them to The Original House of Pancakes over on 10 mile in Southfield. We HAD to head to the hotel after that because the ‘itis began to show itself as the fellas were in the car OUTTA THERE. I had enough time to sneak in a workout before heading to soundcheck. 

Overall, the show went well. Kats who came out, came OUT and seemed to really be into the show. I saw a few familiar faces… not as many as I thought would show up so it was actually good to play in front of a new crowd. My family was in there sitting front row and enjoying every bit of the show, I’m glad they enjoyed themselves. Of course I never have enough time to catch up with everyone when I go home, I don’t care how long I’m there for. I did get to kick it w/KT, Malik Alston, DJ Sicari, K-Fresh, tREBLEFREE, Alex Rogers, Roxstar, and my man Tate McBroom. See y’all again when I go back…

MusicalArchitect.com News 05.28.09

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What’s the good word y’all? Well, I guess I’ll jump right into it. Now, y’all know that since I’ve been in the DC Area, I’ve been playing with a band called The ELs, right? And since November, we have been the touring band behind Phonte and Nicolay, collectively known as The Foreign Exchange, right? Well, ever since our very first show back in November, I have been asked the same question in EVERY city we have played in, it never fails…

“When are y’all gonna do a show in the D?!”

“Are y’all comin’ to the D anytime soon?”

Welp! That time has finally come. Next week on Thursday June 4th at the Charles H Wright Museum… Foreign Exchange will be in Detroit performing with vocalists YahZarah, Darien Brockington and us…The ELs providing the music. Y’all don’t understand how excited I am about having the opportunity to go back home and present this show that I have been talking about, showing pictures and YouTube clips of for over 6 months now. To my peoples at home –please spread the word to everyone. I wanna see a ton of familiar faces in the crowd!

This show will kick off a couple of other dates including a return to Chicago and our debut in Toronto and L.A. Here is a list of the schedule:

Thursday, June 4, 2009

The Foreign Exchange with Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! & The ELs

Charles H Wright Museum, Detroit MI

More Info | Buy Tickets


Friday, June 5, 2009

The Foreign Exchange with Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! & The ELs

Revival, Toronto ON

More Info | Buy Tickets


Sunday, June 7, 2009

The Foreign Exchange with Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! & The ELs

Double Door, Chicago IL

More Info | Buy Tickets


Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Foreign Exchange with Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! & The ELs

The Roxy, Los Angeles CA

More Info | Buy Tickets

In the meantime, …just visiting too has just acquired vocal assistance in the form of Phonte and Carlitta Durand. The three of us just finished a new joint for the new SunStorm album as well. Keep your ears open…

Aaaaaand, school is almost out and I will not be teaching in the summer…so it will be yet another productive (and peaceful) couple of months. I am also one class (and two standardized tests) away from a Master’s Degree! How ‘bout that?

 

As always, I’ll continue to keep you all updated as things come up. Thank you for listening and see y’all at the next show!

Zo!

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MusicalArchitect.com News 04.13.09

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What’s the word y’all?

The past month has been exciting and busy to say the least. The top of March saw me out with The Foreign Exchange as we hit Baltimore’s Eden Lounge, D.C.’s Black Cat, NYC’s Highline Ballroom, and Philly’s Johnny Brenda’s. And in between those dates, FE made a stop into the XM/Sirius Radio studio for an exclusive recorded performance that aired on March 22nd. For those who didn’t get to check it out… You’re in luck.

Download the XM Radio Performance HERE

At the end of March thanks to a kat I go back a little ways with, Waajeed, I had the privilege of traveling West with PPP (Platinum Pied Pipers) to San Francisco’s Mighty and LA’s Dakota Music Lounge that featured both my homegirl Monica Blair and my man Coultrain on vocals. We all had a BALL out there…Even got to kick it with 14KT and Buff1 while we were out in SF. Thank you to the West Coast for showing nothing but love. Look for more dates sooner than later. In the meantime, here are a couple of clips from the shows (yes, that’s me on the bass in the first two lol).

PPP – Angel in San Francisco

PPP – On A Cloud in San Francisco

PPP – 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover in L.A.

Meanwhile, here in D.C., The ELs have played shows opening up with Asheru for U.K.’s own, Omar. We also hit with the brotha Erik Rico last week at Busboys and Poets for his “In the Artist’s Studio” event thrown by Lil SoSo Productions. So as I said, it has been wonderful to say the least.

Album news…

…just visiting too will be out in July. SunStorm will be out at the tail end of the year. Finishing the former and working on the latter…

The feedback that Asylum 7 and I have received about Overdue Process has been a blessing. Thank you!! That album is available here.

Also, those of you on Twitter… Feel free to look me up! http://twitter.com/zo3hree5ive

 

Here are some confirmed show dates:

4.15.09 – The ELs with Asheru @ Hip-Hop Pilgrimage Concert

4.17.09 – The ELs with Foreign Exchange @ The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC

4.19.09 – The ELs with Foreign Exchange @ Double Door Inn, Charlotte, NC

4.25.09 – The ELs with Asheru

06.07.09 – The ELs with Foreign Exchange @ The Double Door, Chicago, IL

Thank you so very much for your continued support, I hope you enjoyed the Easter weekend. See you in North Carolina and Chicago! Stay safe y’all… Peace!!

 

Zo!

Chapter 3hree, Verse 5ive Music, LLC

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MusicalArchitect.com News 02.28.09

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What’s the word y’all? First of all, I want to personally thank everyone for supporting and picking up the new Overdue Process album with Asylum 7. We have received a lotta love from the project and just want to say, “thank you!” The release party back home in Michigan was a complete success. It looked like a real life version of “This is Your Life” in that joint. I hadn’t rocked with the Gorilla Funk Mob in about a year and a half, so that was crazy in and of itself. I have posted some pics from the release party as well as other shows here.

 

Zo! & Asylum 7

Overdue Process

is still available on iTunes and the Tasteful Licks Records site.

In live show news, most of you all know that I have been traveling with The Foreign Exchange in promotion of their new album Leave It All Behind. There have been new show dates added!!!

 

 

Who’s gonna step up and bring this show to Detroit?! And the West Coast?!

 

NEW ALBUM NEWS!!!

Zo! – SunStorm

Production for the new album titled, SunStorm is in full swing. The brotha Phonte sent me something for the album a couple weeks back, and let’s just say that my excitement for the project tripled. New joints coming, new joints coming, NEW JOINTS COMING!! SunStorm is coming together and I’m hyped y’all…

Oh and by the way, …just visiting too is almost complete. It will be released BEFORE SunStorm… How ‘bout that?!

Zo!

New Year’s Release Date for ’Overdue Process’ – 2008 Reflections

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January 1, 2009

New Year’s Day is the new release date for the new Zo! and Asylum 7 album Overdue Process.  Yeah, we know it’s an awkward date because it’s not a Tuesday or whatever…But, uhhh…. we’re not signed, we can release an album whenever we want to! lol Nah for real, we wanted the opportunity to set the bar for the new year – I guess in clichéd terms, we want to be able to start the year off right musically. So the newest album, Zo! and Asylum 7 – Overdue Process, will be released on the 1st off January. Here is the cover art…


Reflections on Two-Thousand Eight

Ahhh (reflective sigh)…2008 has been an interesting year to say the least. I brought the year in while vacationing in Aruba and came right back home to work. There were two projects that were ready for completion. Me and Phonte decided one day to leak the cover art for the Zo! and Tigallo Love the 80’s album…aaaannnd many laughs later lol, the joint was released through Fat Beats on July 22nd and has damn near sold out since then. We even got love from The Rude Boys’ lead singer Joe Little (big props!) for re-working “Written All Over Your Face”. The first time any of the 80’s joints were performed live was here in D.C. at Busboys and Poets on September 22nd. Tay was the featured artist while The ELs provided the music. That night it was Omar on bass, Biscuit on drums, and myself ..s. The performance was so special that it landed us all on the road with The Foreign Exchange hitting NYC, DC and ATL…much more on this to come. 

Teaching has been challenging this year (as it is every year), but I took the summer off and completed a TON of music and my students were invited BACK to perform at the University of Maryland in early October.

This year I have read books on kats ranging from Rick James, Faith Evans, Prince, and Miles Davis to Malcolm X, Fred Wesley, Grandmaster Flash, Charlie Parker, and the early days of hip hop.

I took part in completing THREE albums…one which will never see the light of day.

AND kept up my 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
I lost a good friend of mine on November 3rd – respect due to Chris “Jax” Thurston, 1976-2008…

…The following day, I was fortunate enough to witness and be a part of this year’s historical election results (now the REAL work begins).

I, along with many of my people at home, have even managed to sit and watch the Lions win not a single GAME this season, LAWD!!…

…The Red Wings did their thing last season and won it all though… Congratulations!!

Oh yeah, I made it to my 30th year back in September! And the celebration was CRAZY…

Overall, 2008 has been another blessing and yet another step in the right direction toward musical growth. I have learned a ton in the last 12 months and I am looking very forward to new things to come in ’09…

 

Oh, by the way.
2009 will bring two albums…

…just visiting too 
(follow up to 2006’s …just visiting)

and

SunStorm
(solo album featuring Phonte, Yahzarah, AB, and Sy Smith)

YES…I am excited.


The Music That 2008 Will Bring…

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*comes up for air*

Gather ’round y’all, gather ’round….

First, I am currently finishing up the Zo! & Tigallo Love the 80’s! EP with my brotha in music, Phonte. This is something that came about through our mutual respect for each other’s talents……and quite simply because both of us are music fanatics. For example, “Africa” was born out of a conversation we had at the end of ’06 that we had going back and forth about our favorite 70’s and 80’s joints. Next thing you know….here comes “Take On Me”. With “Steppin’ Out” already completed, gears shifted like, we need to make this an official joint. Since then, three more have been done….won’t tell y’all which three joints we picked out yet though… Look for this one to drop somewhere between February and December of ’08………………..haha

The third album that I have begun production on is yet another collaboration EP with extremely talented Detroit emcee Asylum 7. We have been working together on different things since we met back in 2004 (“Listen Up”, and the “Observe Remix” which appeared on A7’s Brown Study EP). This was another case of dope chemistry and respect for one another’s work ethic. We’re about 7 tracks deep into it and still pushing…

You will also see production on one joint that features YahZarah from the upcoming The Foriegn Exchange album Leave It All Behind. And just yesterday I laid some keys on a joint by my man Kev Brown for his new album. And there’s more…but all of it hasn’t been finalized, so I don’t want to have to retract statements and everything. lol My goal for the year (as it is every year) is to continuously hit ch’all with good, consistent music. Let’s have fun this year…I’m looking forward to it.

Did I also mention that I’m working on another solo LP too?…Just thought I would throw that in there…………………

Thanks for listening…
Zo