In the rarefied realm of pop music obsessives (we’re the ones who take it personal and make it personal), it is a strange sensation to feel defensive for merely liking an act.

T Scott, Darien Brockington, Phonte, Nicolay, YahZarah, Chris Boerner. Photo | Mind Theories Media Group

This happens usually with cultishly worshipped acts that probably aren’t as commercially successful as they deserve to be. I like North Carolina’s Little Brother, I really do, and I sincerely hope that the new Leftback album will not be their last. That will never be good enough for Little Brother’s devoted fanbase, because they don’t just love Little Brother, they lurrve Phonte and Pooh. For me, they just stand in the shadow of their big Native Tongues brothers, which is after all where the name comes from. Still, I occasionally have to weather the testimony of somebody who wants to tell me I’m killing hip hop personally if I haven’t put my entire passion for music squarely behind Little Brother and only Little Brother. Just liking Little Brother is bullshit!

I do like Little Brother, though. As emcees, they’re pretty fantastic. Rapper Big Pooh is always on point and sadly slept on. Phonte might actually be one of the best in the game at the moment. I always liked his side project (now primary project?), the Foreign Exchange, a bit better than Little Brother, particularly the effervescent first album Connected. Foreign Exchange consists of rapper Phonte and producer Nicolay, who met online. They famously did not physically meet until after the album dropped. Nicolay is Dutch and still lived in Holland when he did the beats for Connected, though he has since moved to the Hollywood of the South, Wilmington, NC.

Nicolay and Phonte will both be at Time Lounge in Norfolk for this Fuzzy Wednesday, the long-running showcase for local treasures the Fuzz Band. Also joining the party will be YahZara. I don’t know anything about her but she did backup vocals for Erykah Badu on Mama’s Gun, which grants her much more than the benefit of any doubt in my book. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and should be well worth it for what promises to be one of the fuzziest Wednesdays of the year.