Biography
Carlitta Durand possesses a silky vocal style and operates as a forward-thinking R&B performer whose independent releases fuse contemporary soul with downtempo electronica, producing an ethereal texture that contrasts her grounded approach to songwriting. She built her reputation during the second half of the 2000s through her connection to the North Carolina collective Little Brother, which in turn positioned her as a recurring guest on projects associated with the related duo the Foreign Exchange. After issuing the three self-released solo albums Songs from Carli in 2011, I'll Be Gorgeous When I Die in 2015, and Kismet Green in 2020, she delivered the six-track EP Make Me Stay in August 2024 on Foreign Exchange Music, an effort shaped by producers ANKN & VDR.
Durand entered the world in Minneapolis during the same year that local icon Prince unveiled the album Purple Rain, and she has long identified the record’s sonic palette as among her first musical touchstones. Vocal expression began for her in early childhood. Following her family’s relocation to Durham, North Carolina, she participated in a church choir alongside her parents and siblings throughout her early teenage years. While completing a bachelor’s degree in theatre performance at North Carolina Central University, she crossed paths with Little Brother’s Phonte and Big Pooh, who recruited her to supply a hook for the track “Life of the Party” on the 2006 compilation The Hall of Justus: Soldiers of Fortune. That encounter opened further recording sessions with the group, and she also enrolled in the NCCU hip-hop course led by founding member 9th Wonder. By the close of the decade she had lent her voice to multiple Little Brother and 9th Wonder releases as well as material from Tanya Morgan, Skyzoo, and the tandem of Nicolay and Zo!, the latter pair among Phonte’s primary musical partners; she additionally joined Vaughn Garcia on the EP The Doug and Patty.
Deeper into the following decade, Durand released Songs from Carli while sustaining ties to the Justus League network and supplying frequent features for Zo!, Phonte, and the Foreign Exchange, the outfit fronted by Phonte and Nicolay. After appearing on the Foreign Exchange Music projects SunStorm, Charity Starts at Home, and ManMade, she issued her first proper solo album, the independently distributed I’ll Be Gorgeous When I Die, in 2015. Later that same year the Foreign Exchange issued Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey, their second full-length featuring her contributions.
She subsequently stepped away for an extended period to focus on raising her children, resurfacing in 2020 with Kismet Green, her next independent solo album. Prior to unveiling the new EP Make Me Stay, an ANKN & VDR production issued via FE Music in August 2024, she added vocals to further Foreign Exchange Music recordings by BeMyFiasco, Darien Brockington, and Phonte.
Durand entered the world in Minneapolis during the same year that local icon Prince unveiled the album Purple Rain, and she has long identified the record’s sonic palette as among her first musical touchstones. Vocal expression began for her in early childhood. Following her family’s relocation to Durham, North Carolina, she participated in a church choir alongside her parents and siblings throughout her early teenage years. While completing a bachelor’s degree in theatre performance at North Carolina Central University, she crossed paths with Little Brother’s Phonte and Big Pooh, who recruited her to supply a hook for the track “Life of the Party” on the 2006 compilation The Hall of Justus: Soldiers of Fortune. That encounter opened further recording sessions with the group, and she also enrolled in the NCCU hip-hop course led by founding member 9th Wonder. By the close of the decade she had lent her voice to multiple Little Brother and 9th Wonder releases as well as material from Tanya Morgan, Skyzoo, and the tandem of Nicolay and Zo!, the latter pair among Phonte’s primary musical partners; she additionally joined Vaughn Garcia on the EP The Doug and Patty.
Deeper into the following decade, Durand released Songs from Carli while sustaining ties to the Justus League network and supplying frequent features for Zo!, Phonte, and the Foreign Exchange, the outfit fronted by Phonte and Nicolay. After appearing on the Foreign Exchange Music projects SunStorm, Charity Starts at Home, and ManMade, she issued her first proper solo album, the independently distributed I’ll Be Gorgeous When I Die, in 2015. Later that same year the Foreign Exchange issued Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey, their second full-length featuring her contributions.
She subsequently stepped away for an extended period to focus on raising her children, resurfacing in 2020 with Kismet Green, her next independent solo album. Prior to unveiling the new EP Make Me Stay, an ANKN & VDR production issued via FE Music in August 2024, she added vocals to further Foreign Exchange Music recordings by BeMyFiasco, Darien Brockington, and Phonte.
Albums