pharrell williams

Since 2004 (first in the song "Drop It Like It's Hot") he has referred to his rapping persona as Skateboard P. As a part of The Neptunes Pharrell has produced numerous hit singles for various music megastars. He plays the drums, keyboard, and guitar.

Biography

Early life

Pharrell was born to Pharaoh Williams Jr. and Carolyn Hoggard in Virginia Beach, VA. He has two younger brothers, Cato and Psoloman and two half-brothers, Pharoah Williams III and David Williams. Cato is a professional skateboarder. David is a Business Owner in Delaware, and Pharoah III is an up-and-coming music producer. He also has two sisters: Hope Williams and Carrie Parks.

Pharrell and Chad met, despite going to different schools, at a jazz workshop at age 12 where Williams was a drummer and Hugo played tenor saxophone.^[1] They were also both members of a marching band, where Pharrell played the snare drum, and with Chad as a student conductor. In 1990s Chad and Pharrell formed a 4-piece "R&B type" group along with friends Shae and Mike Etheridge, which they named The Neptunes. Upon entering a local talent contest, they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was close to Pharrell's school (Princess Anne High).^[2] After graduating from high school, they signed with Riley as a group.^[3]

Career

Through working with Teddy Riley, Pharrell went on to write Riley's verse for Wreckx-N-Effect's 1992 hit "Rump Shaker" (#2 Billboard Hot 100, 2x Platinum). In 1994, Hugo and Williams had established themselves formally as a production duo under the previously used name "The Neptunes", and produced "Tonight's The Night" from BLACKstreet's self-titled debut (Riley being a member of BLACKstreet). Over the next three years they continued to produce occasionally. Some of the production had little resemblance to the trademark Neptunes sound present today, including some of the productions for SWV (1996). However, some like Mase's 1998 No.8 (Billboard hot 100) hit "Lookin' At Me" (from the Harlem World album, 1997) showed clear signs that the Neptunes' sound was increasing in sophistication.

Their first major production hit, and the most definite beginning of the distinctive Neptunes Sound, came with N.O.R.E.'s Superthug in 1998, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining them widespread attention for the first time. The duo then went on to work heavily with Kelis, producing her first album Kaleidoscope and Ol' Dirty Bastard's record Got your money, on which Kelis was featured, followed by Mystikal's Shake Ya Ass and (a then newly-renamed) Diddy's single Diddy.

In 2001 Pharrell, Chad and Shae released their first album as N*E*R*D; In Search Of... (electronic), in Europe (where the first Kelis album was better received), with a style similar to their Neptunes production. However, the group decided that they should make their work as N*E*R*D sound different, and re-recorded the album, with the funk-rock band Spymob, for worldwide release in 2002.

In 2001 The Neptunes gained their first world-wide #1 with Britney Spears' single, "I'm A Slave 4 U", however it only reached #1 nationally in several South American countries. The following year they reached #1 in the U.S. with Nelly’s single, "Hot in Herre". In August of the same year, The Neptunes were named "Producers of the Year" at both The Source Awards and the Billboard Music Awards.

In 2003, they released a self-credited album called The Neptunes Present... Clones, featuring songs and remixes from various artists. This album topped the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The Neptunes and Pharrell specifically were also kept in public eye largely due to ties with Jay-Z, producing several hit singles for him and landing two tracks on his final album The Black Album.

"Frontin'" was a big summer hit (the 34th biggest single of 2003 according to Billboard Magazine), and kept Williams' momentum running up to the release of N*E*R*D's second funk/rock-oriented album, Fly Or Die, released in March 2004. Williams' rock credentials were further bolstered by his appearance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, performing The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" on drums along with Sting, Dave Matthews, and Vince Gill. Pharrell went home with two Grammy Awards that night, one for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and another for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Justin Timberlake's No.2 Billboard hit Justified.

They also gained their first UK #1, again with Nelly, and Flap Your Wings.

On September 9, 2005, Pharrell performed the opening single from his debut solo album "In My Mind". The song, titled "Can I Have It Like That", featuring Gwen Stefani did not do well in the US, reaching only #48; however, it faired better in the UK, reaching #3. Between then and the release of "In My Mind" (on July 24, 2006), he released "Angel (Europe only), and later Number 1 with fellow producer/rapper Kanye West. Several songs were also leaked to the internet before the album was released, most notably "Mamacita" featuring Daddy Yankee, which was subsequently cut from the final version. "That Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg is confirmed to be the fourth single.

Trivia

• He is an owner of an Enzo Ferrari.[1]
• He has a half-pipe inside his home, and is one of few rappers who skateboard, although he cannot do any tricks.[2]
• In 2005, he was voted "Best Dressed Man in the World" by Esquire magazine.[3] His look has inspired such acts as Mario and Eric West.
• He is often seen wearing a trucker hat, as Chad's dad did before.[4]
• He is a big fan of Star Trek,[5] as indicated by his choice of label name.
• A survey in August 2003 found the Neptunes produced almost 20% of songs played on British radio at the time, a survey in the US had them at 43%.[6]
• On the ABC show "Nightline" Pharrell said, "I could always visualize what I was hearing" and "It was always like weird colors," suggesting he may have synesthesia."Nightline"
• On Good Morning America, he confirmed his idol is the astronomer Carl Sagan.^{citation needed]}
• He's said that he's a big fan of animation, he regularly watches Disney movies and admits he's a big Smurfs fan. [7]
• It was also stated in an inteveiw on the V channel and it may appear in his videos that he is short, when actually he is about 5'10"

Discography

Solo albums

• 2006: In My Mind (The Prequel) (Mixtape with DJ Drama)
• 2006: In My Mind (July 24th) (#3 U.S.) (#7 UK) (#14 GER)
• 2007: Out Of The Box (June 19)

Solo Singles

Neptunes and N*E*R*D tracks

For N*E*R*D tracklistings see N*E*R*D discography. For Neptunes discography see The Neptunes discography.

References

1. ^ "Like the song? These guys wrote it", The Age, May 15, 2004
2. ^ "Chad Hugo: Rock Star, an interview with Yolk Magazine, 2002
3. ^ "Neptunes production techniques; an interview with Chad Hugo" on hiphopgame.com, from the December 2003 issue of 'Sound & Recording'

See also

• The Neptunes
• N*E*R*D
• Star Trak
• Billionaire Boys Club (clothing)

External links

• Star Trak official site
• PharrellWilliams.com
• N*E*R*D official site
• Skateboard P ORG // Premier Resource
• PharrellWilliams.org - Pharrell fansite
• Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream official site
• Neptunes production techniques; an interview with Chad Hugo
• Yolk Magazine interview with Chad
• Pharrell Williams: 2006 Interview with Crave Online