Hip Hop was born as a cultural movement to express the sentiments of urban communities, Phonté stays true to storytelling in its rawest form on his debut solo album Charity Starts At Home. Phonté has his own reputation to fulfill as a former member of Little Brother and current member of The Foreign Exchange, both critically acclaimed hip hop/soul groups; however, from the opening track Phonté proves he has no problem filling his own shoes. The opening track is a stunner and if not the best track on the album. On "Dance In the Reign", Phonté proclaims he is still the underground king and spews an interesting array of metaphors. The realness of the working class that fans of Phonté's love about his storytelling is prefaced when he states "I do this all for hip hop/I'm lying like shit/I do this for mortgage, my bills." Listeners will be rewinding that track. With Charity Starts At Home, Phonté reunites with former Big Brother group member 9th Wonder on "The Good Fight" to tell the social truths of working to make money for real reasons - food, clothing, shelter. How real is that in the current economy - and life in general? On the album, Phonté showcases his talents in lyricism, production, and singing that he does just as well as the former two. With his singing voice, Phonté is even more truthful; something like a throwback 90s hip hop-influenced R&B song on "Ball And Chain" and something like a jazz standard on "To Be Yours." Usually when rappers make a song for the women, it's either to portray them as sexual objects or the one who got away. Phonté is not emo; on "Sendin My Love", his focus is on the in between of relationships and the truth about maintaining a relationship which is something I'm sure we all can relate to. Phonté introduces most of his tracks and himself with a ubiquitous "new Tigallo" however, he's not afraid to match himself with fully capable MCs, Elzhi (formerly of Slum Village) on "Not Here Anymore", lovely chopped up sampled track of the Rose Royce classic; and Pharoahe Monch on "We Go Off", a no holds barred lyrical exercise. Charity Starts At Home is soulful, lyrically and musically. I must mention the ever-soulful Eric Roberson is featured on the last track "Who Loves You More." Hopefully listeners will appreciate the album is not glossy even when the flow of the album lulls a little. Phonté's delivery is aggressive and thought provoking. Through his lyricism, Phonté has plenty for his listeners to hear and in his flow there is a hope that they will actually listen. If Phonté continues with solo releases of this caliber, we will be.