10 Most Underrated Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time

Few hip-hop groups can boast such a wholesome - and early 2000s - origin story as The Foreign Exchange. American rapper Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay met on a music forum. They’d sent beats and verses back and forth across the Atlantic, and recorded their superb debut Connected before ever meeting in person.

While you’d never imagine there was an ocean between the pair, this is all too clearly a work from creatives who truly love the music they’re making. It’s a lush, rich album, absolutely packed with ideas. “Hustle, Hustle” features an insistent flow from Phonte, who barely takes a breath, over a track that features neo-soul backing vocals, multi tracked raps, horns, and ‘70s keyboards.

“Nic’s Groove” sums up the group’s charm, with lyricism that’s deft but down to earth, a man on the street view rather than mafioso silliness, and a slowed down, widescreen instrumental coda.

Perhaps because Nicolay was coming from somewhere so different to most Western hip-hop, the record sounds like nothing else around, never fronting or trying to be stylish. Just two guys and their guest collaborators making exactly the music that sounds good to them.