Customer Reviews

The Dutch Masters, Vol. 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nicolay of The Foreign Exchange is one of my favorite producers of today. He has the blend of the old school flavor with the new soul (not neo-soul because I hate that label,) and it still comes off hard with a true hip hop lyricist. This guy is a genius on the boards and has laced up some of the best underground artists around with this mixtape. Down with the JL, Nicolay will always have a home here in the states. Waiting on volume 2, and I look forward to seeing what this cat will do next (maybe a full album project with Supastition? Who knows... let's wait and see)

Update - July 25, 2009:
Volume 2, still waiting. May be on the way for volume 2 of City Lights is slated for release in August. I'm staying on the lookout and will be back with another update. Until then...

I've just discovered Nicolay after looking for a Jill Scott tune and finding the golden remix he did (not on this album). You know how sometimes you start listening to a tune, think its good but then realise the sampling is repeated with no change and it gets boring. Well, Nicolay changes the melodies very slightly and gradually in a smooth chilled way which keeps the tune interesting and stimulating. Undergound smooth beats from superb artists like Big brother and a magical slowed down version of "come close" at the end. Its superb. Wasn't a big fan of remixes till I discovered this guy. Its good stuff.

This is a very solid cd. There is not a single bad track on the entire disc. The whole disc has a laid back vibe very similar to Foreign Exchange. If there are any problems at all, Im not sure I hear a track that rivals "Raw Life" in terms of its power to draw people in. Still Exchange fans who grew to love Connected beyond its most accessible track will really enjoy Dutch Masters. Its a very solid mix to pop into a player and listen to the whole way through. It really gives you a sense of Nicolay's sound and how he applies it beyond Phonte. On this cd we get to hear Common, Supastition, Bilal, Thyrday, and many others in addition to Little Brother. Frankly so far I enjoy it more than the Minstral Show which was a bit of a surprise to me. Its full of remixes but still filled with originality and considering the obscurity of some of the tracks they'll likely be new to most anyways. Nicolay seems destined to join a short list of really interesting producers of hiphop music.

on the real, this compilation is super dope. if you want to get into nicolay, then yes, buy The Foreign Exchange's Connected. to say that nicolay doesn't have real MC's on his beats is atrocious. Nicolay rounded up some serious talent for his music. Von Pea is on there (1/3 of Tanya Morgan and featured on Connected and several Little Brother mixtapes), Ilwil (other 2/3 of Tanya Morgan), Supastition, Living Legends, Little Brother, Common, Thyrday, and many more... if don't like any one of the MC's on this album, then undergrond/indie hip-hop ain't for you

I'm a HUGE Nicolay fan, but I like people with actual skills rhymin' over his beats, such as Little Brother. Don't get me wrong, alotta these cats have skills on this album (LB,Supastition,Living Legends,Common), I even liked Von Pea's joint on here. Overall though, if you don't have Foreign Exchange-Connected....PLEASE BUY THAT FIRST. You should hear an ALBUM by Nicolay with a real emcee (Phonte) before you buy this one. I'd hate for you to cop this album and say it was ...ok, and not have heard Connected...I think you'd get a better picture of this guy's prowess with the beats. My favorite joint on here hands down is the remix of "All That You Are"...one of my favorite songs from Connected. Overall, you should get this album if you already own Connected, if not....GET CONNECTED FIRST.