Pharrell Williams
Encyclopedia
Pharrell Williams commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American
rapper, singer, record producer
, composer
, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo
make up the record production duo The Neptunes
, producing hip hop
and R&B
music. He is also the lead vocalist and drummer of funk/hip-hop band N.E.R.D, which he formed with Hugo and childhood friend Shay Haley. He released his first single "Frontin'
" in 2003 and followed up with his first album In My Mind
in 2006.
As part of The Neptunes, Williams has produced numerous hit singles for various musicians
. The two have earned three Grammy Award
s amongst ten nominations. He is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club
and Ice Cream Clothing. He is a member of the supergroup
V.A. Playaz with Fam-Lay
, Clipse
, Skillz
, Missy Elliott
, and Timbaland & Magoo
.
, Virginia
, the eldest of three sons of Carolyn, a teacher, and Williams, a handyman. He met Chad Hugo
in a seventh-grade summer band camp where Williams played the keyboards
and drums
and Hugo played tenor saxophone
. They were also both members of a marching band
; Williams played the snare drum
while Chad was student conductor
. With Hugo, Williams attended Princess Anne High School
where they played in the school band; there he got the name Skateboard P.
In the 1990s, Hugo and Williams formed a four-piece "R&B type" group, The Neptunes, with friends Shay Haley and Mike Etheridge. They later entered a high school talent show where they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was next to Princess Anne High School. After graduating from high school, the group signed with Riley.
's 1992 hit "Rump Shaker
". That same year, he also performed a small rap solo on SWV
's second hit, "Right Here (UK Remix)". In 1994, Hugo and Williams had established themselves as a production duo under their old name "The Neptunes", and produced "Tonight's The Night" from Blackstreet
's self-titled album
. Over the next three years they continued to produce occasionally. Some of the results had little resemblance to the Neptunes sound of today. However, some like Mase
's 1997 song "Lookin' at Me" from his album Harlem World
, and the most definite beginning of the distinctive "Neptunes sound", came with N.O.R.E.
's "Superthug" in 1998, reaching number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining them widespread attention for the first time. In 1999, the duo worked with Kelis
, producing her first album Kaleidoscope.
In 2001, The Neptunes produced Britney Spears
' single, "I'm a Slave 4 U
" gaining their first worldwide number one. The same year, N.E.R.D, consisting of Williams, Hugo and Haley, released their first album, In Search of..., in Europe, where the first Kelis album was better received. The album sounded very much like their previous production work; the group decided that they should make their work as N.E.R.D sound different, and re-recorded the album with the rock
band Spymob
. Williams and Hugo met rap duo Clipse
in Virginia Beach in 1993, where they were signed to Arista Records
through Williams' Star Trak Entertainment
imprint.
Then in 2002 their re-produced album was released worldwide, and The Neptunes reached number one 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 Award
s. Clipse released their commercial debut album Lord Willin'
in August 2002. The album started at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart and number four on the Billboard 200
, fueled by its first two singles, "Grindin'
" and "When the Last Time
", which peaked at number 34 and number 19 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Neptunes released a self-credited album called The Neptunes Present... Clones
in 2003, with songs and remixes from various artists. This topped the U.S.
Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The Neptunes and Williams specifically were also kept in public eye largely due to ties with Jay-Z
, producing several hit singles for him and two tracks on his The Black Album
. The track "Frontin'" was a big hit (the 34th biggest of 2003 according to Billboard
). A survey in August 2003 found the Neptunes produced almost 20 percent of songs played on British radio at the time, a survey in the US had them at 43 percent. The same year, The Neptunes remixed the Daft Punk
song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
for the duo's poorly-received remix album Daft Club
. The track also had a brief rap section performed by Williams.
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 with Sting, Dave Matthews
, and Vince Gill
. Williams received 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 hit album Justified
. They also gained their first UK number one, again with Nelly, and Flap Your Wings.
On September 9, 2005, Williams performed the opening single from his first solo album In My Mind
, "Can I Have It Like That
", featuring Gwen Stefani
. The single did poorly in the US, reaching only number 48. It fared better in the UK, reaching number three. Between then and the July 25, 2006 release of "In My Mind", he released "Angel
" (in Europe only), and later "Number One
" with Kanye West
. Several songs leaked to the internet before the album release, most notably "Mamacita" featuring Daddy Yankee
, which was subsequently cut from the final version. "That Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg
was the final single.
In 2006, Williams, with Chad Hugo, produced Clipse
's second album Hell Hath No Fury
. Most critics labeled the album Williams's best production in years, and put the duo back in the charts.
On May 16, 2007, for seven days only, the first of two expected collaborations with Madonna
, titled "Hey You", was made available for free download from the MSN
website. MSN, with Madonna, gave 25 cents for each of the first one million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection
, in support of Live Earth. Later that year, Williams performed songs at the Concert for Diana
on July 1, 2007. Then, on July 7, 2007, he performed at the Brazilian leg
of Live Earth
in Rio de Janeiro
.
A second album, titled Out of My Mind, was recorded with his newly formed band "The Yessirs" featuring Questlove of The Roots
. However, Williams' record label did not think that a companion album to the first would sell well. He also produced Beyoncé's version of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
". He then wrote and produced "Why Should I Be Sad" on Britney Spears
' fifth studio album, Blackout. He also produced two songs from The Hives
album, The Black and White Album
, titled "Well All Right!" and "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.".
In April 2008, Madonna
released her eleventh album, Hard Candy
, with vocals from Williams and production from The Neptunes on several tracks. In June, an article in NME revealed that Williams was very interested in producing The Strokes
' fourth album. Williams, with other musicians, is to work on a remix album for Maroon 5
's Call & Response.
Pharrell worked with Shakira
on the songs 'Did It Again
', 'Why Wait', 'Good Stuff' and 'Long Time' for her sixth studio album, She Wolf. This was released in October 2009.
Williams will collaborate with Lindsay Lohan
on her third studio album Spirit in the Dark. He will also provide guest vocals on the album's first single, "Playground".
In September 2009, it was announced that Williams co-wrote and produced a song titled "Fresh Out the Oven
" for Jennifer Lopez
. It was released as a buzz single from Lopez's upcoming seventh studio album Love?
, which is due for release in the Summer of 2010.
In October 2009, it was announced that he would make a guest appearance on French
indie/electronic
rapper Uffie's
first album, due in early 2010.
He has also worked with rapper Snoop Dogg and singer Brandy on the song "Special" in Snoop Dogg's album Malice 'n' Wonderland.
Pharrell has been featured on an unofficial remix/mash-up of "Arab Money
" featuring Busta Rhymes
.
Pharrell and Kid Cudi
collaborated on an untitled song for Kid Cudi's second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr.Rager. Cudi described the song as a "club hit".
In late 2009, Williams also started working with the rapper Game for his fourth studio album, The R.E.D. Album
. He returned to work with US singer Justin Timberlake
, whom he hadn't worked with for nearly eight years after he was a producer on Timberlake's first solo album Justified.
In July 2010, Williams composed one of the soundtracks in the movie Despicable Me
at the Hollywood Studio Symphony
.
Williams collaborated with Swedish house music group the Swedish House Mafia
on the song "One" from their first album Until One
. The released song featuring Pharrell's vocals was renamed "One (Your Name)."
Williams and his group N.E.R.D supported Gorillaz
on their Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour
. On the tour, Damon Albarn
used his iPad
to record and compose the Gorillaz album The Fall
. Pharrell recorded a track with Albarn, but this did not appear on The Fall; it may appear on a future album.
He will be featured on Gucci Mane's second album The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted
on a track titled "Haterade" with "Nicki Minaj
".
He will also be featured on Swizz Beatz
' upcoming album Haute Living.
On August 1, 2011, Williams announced his new label, i am Other.
, particularly during the hook
of a song. Critics often say that Williams cannot rap
or sing well, but that his singing is better than his rapping. Alasdair Lees of The Independent
thought Williams "strives for the Prince
effect", but sounds like Bobby Valentino "on work experience". Anthony Henriques of PopMatters
noted that Williams is not a "technically gifted rapper", "does not have a beautiful voice" and his lyrics are "typically inconsequential in a "saying shit just to sound cool' sort of way", but found strengths in his choruses, which "typically use a catchy phrase or recognizable melody as an anchor for his nonsensical verses".
Pharrell also did music for the Universal
film Despicable Me
. The film makers liked his genre of music for the movie. Williams has encompassed a broad range of genres, including hip hop
, R&B
, pop
, rock
, and funk
. His lyrics often pertain to his childhood, family, religious faith and sexuality. In the review of Seeing Sounds
by N.E.R.D, Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone
said he learned nothing from his lyrics except that Williams was sexually aroused
.
Williams has stated that he does not have any direct influences, but has expressed his admiration of several musicians, including Michael Jackson
, J Dilla
, Stevie Wonder
, Donny Hathaway
, Marvin Gaye
, Rakim
and Q-Tip
. Williams described A Tribe Called Quest
's 1990 album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
, as a "turning point" in his life, which "made me see that music was art".
His style of production includes very unusual sounds, which give a feeling of being extra terrestrial. His beats have heavy percussions and synths.
, a Japanese
record producer and creator of the clothing line A Bathing Ape
, in Japan
and bonded through similar interests, where they began working together on their fashion line
s. Williams later co-founded the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club
and Ice Cream Footwear. He has a store in New York City. In 2008, he co-designed a series of jewelry ("Blason") and glasses for Louis Vuitton
. He has also worked on furniture with Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin and a French manufacturer, Domeau & Pérès. One of his works, a molded plastic seat with human legs, was created because he "wanted to know what it was like to be in love." The chair depicts a sexual scene with a pair of female legs and male legs.
Williams recorded four songs for the computer animated film Despicable Me
. Some of the songs are used in the trailers, and are also in the movie.
In 2011 Williams designed and released a cream liqueur named QREAM. The "Q" stands for "Queen" and the liqueur comes in two different flavors, strawberry and peach. Williams was approached by Diageo
to collaborate; Williams found that the female audience were being neglected, and therefore made a cream liqueur for women. He mentioned the taste being an ambient of an ice cream, but the liqueur contains less calories than wine.
. He is a fan of the science fiction
series Star Trek
, as indicated by his consistent use of the Vulcan salute
to signify his label name, Star Trak. He also enjoys the works of the late astronomer
and science lecturer Carl Sagan
, whom he calls "a genius". Williams is a skateboarder and has a half-pipe
inside his home. In April 2009, Williams underwent a skin procedure for tattoo removal
. It was to have most of his tattoos removed.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper, singer, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
make up the record production duo The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, producing hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
music. He is also the lead vocalist and drummer of funk/hip-hop band N.E.R.D, which he formed with Hugo and childhood friend Shay Haley. He released his first single "Frontin'
Frontin'
"Frontin", is a 2003 song by producer Pharrell. The title refers to putting up a facade , typically to impress peers. The song features rapper Jay-Z, is written by Pharrell and produced by The Neptunes. At the time he insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not a...
" in 2003 and followed up with his first album In My Mind
In My Mind (Pharrell album)
-Notes:* A song titled "Mamacita", which featured Reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee was leaked in early 2006 and was supposed to be the third single from the album, but it did not appear on the final track listing, nor was there a video for the song, but it is featured in the movie The Fast and the...
in 2006.
As part of The Neptunes, Williams has produced numerous hit singles for various musicians
The Neptunes discography
The Neptunes are a two-member producing group consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. This discography lists the recorded performances as a duo and individuals. It also lists the writing and production credits as The Neptunes, as Williams or Hugo, or both...
. The two have earned three Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s amongst ten nominations. He is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club
Billionaire Boys Club (clothing)
Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are two lines of luxury clothing established by Pharrell of The Neptunes and Nigo, founder of BAPE. The lines consist of T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, knits, denim, suits and shirts; outerwear in leather, down, cotton, and technical fabrics; hats, sneakers,...
and Ice Cream Clothing. He is a member of the supergroup
SuperGroup
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
V.A. Playaz with Fam-Lay
FAM-LAY
Nathaniel Johnson, also known as Fam-Lay is an American rapper from Norfolk, Virginia. Signed to The Neptunes' Star Trak imprint, he first gained notoriety through several guest appearances he made on various Neptunes-related projects, including the Clipse's debut album Lord Willin in 2002...
, Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
, Skillz
Skillz
Shaquan Lewis, also known as Mad Skillz, Skillz, is an American rapper known for his acclaimed 1996 album From Where???, a reference to his origins in Virginia, not the stereotypical New York City or Los Angeles rapper, and he's also known for his yearly "Rap Ups", which he has done since...
, Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
, and Timbaland & Magoo
Timbaland & Magoo
Timbaland & Magoo are a rap duo consisting of producer/rapper Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and rapper Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff who is of African American and Native American descent.Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, the duo first met when they were teenagers...
.
Early life
Pharrell Williams was born on April 5, 1973, on Virginia BeachVirginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the eldest of three sons of Carolyn, a teacher, and Williams, a handyman. He met Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
in a seventh-grade summer band camp where Williams played the keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and Hugo played tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
. They were also both members of a marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
; Williams played the snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
while Chad was student conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. With Hugo, Williams attended Princess Anne High School
Princess Anne High School
Princess Anne High School is one of 11 high schools in the Virginia Beach City Public School System. Opened in 1954, it is the oldest remaining high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States...
where they played in the school band; there he got the name Skateboard P.
In the 1990s, Hugo and Williams formed a four-piece "R&B type" group, The Neptunes, with friends Shay Haley and Mike Etheridge. They later entered a high school talent show where they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was next to Princess Anne High School. After graduating from high school, the group signed with Riley.
1992–2001: Career beginnings
Through working with Maddison Harper, Williams went on to write a verse for Wreckx-N-EffectWreckx-N-Effect
Wreckx-N-Effect was a New Jack Swing Hip-Hop group who had the multi-platinum hit "Rump Shaker" in 1992/1993, which was produced by Teddy Riley.-History:...
's 1992 hit "Rump Shaker
Rump Shaker (song)
"Rump Shaker" is a 1992 rap single by hip-hop group Wreckx-N-Effect, featuring Teddy Riley from their 1992 album Hard or Smooth.Due to the massive success of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, "Rump Shaker" would only make it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 2 on the Hot...
". That same year, he also performed a small rap solo on SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
's second hit, "Right Here (UK Remix)". In 1994, Hugo and Williams had established themselves as a production duo under their old name "The Neptunes", and produced "Tonight's The Night" from Blackstreet
Blackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
's self-titled album
Blackstreet (album)
Blackstreet is the self-titled debut studio album from American R&B group Blackstreet, released in 1994 on Interscope Records.The album peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard 200 chart. By April of 1995, it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies in...
. Over the next three years they continued to produce occasionally. Some of the results had little resemblance to the Neptunes sound of today. However, some like Mase
Mase
Mason Durell Betha , better known by stage name Mase who was previously known as Murda Ma$e, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and inspirational speaker...
's 1997 song "Lookin' at Me" from his album Harlem World
Harlem World
Harlem World is the critically acclaimed multi-platinum debut album by Harlem rapper Mase, released October 28, 1997.-Background:Seen as Puff Daddy's new protege since the passing of The Notorious B.I.G., Mase rose to fame after being a member of Children of the Corn with fellow Harlem rappers Big...
, and the most definite beginning of the distinctive "Neptunes sound", came with N.O.R.E.
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
's "Superthug" in 1998, reaching number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining them widespread attention for the first time. In 1999, the duo worked with Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
, producing her first album Kaleidoscope.
2001–2004: In Search Of..., Clipse and Fly or Die
At this point The Neptune's were gaining a wide fanbase and audience.In 2001, The Neptunes produced Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' single, "I'm a Slave 4 U
I'm a Slave 4 U
"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on September 24, 2001 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album...
" gaining their first worldwide number one. The same year, N.E.R.D, consisting of Williams, Hugo and Haley, released their first album, In Search of..., in Europe, where the first Kelis album was better received. The album sounded very much like their previous production work; the group decided that they should make their work as N.E.R.D sound different, and re-recorded the album with the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Spymob
Spymob
Spymob is a pop rock band, from Minneapolis best known for their appearance on the 2003 Star Trak Entertainment compilation The Neptunes present Clones, with the song "Half Steering Half Eating Ice Cream." They also provided backing instruments for N.E.R.D.'s 2002 debut In Search Of......
. Williams and Hugo met rap duo Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
in Virginia Beach in 1993, where they were signed to Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
through Williams' Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment is a record label, founded by record producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in 2001. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Interscope Records.-Beginnings:...
imprint.
Then in 2002 their re-produced album was released worldwide, and The Neptunes reached number one in the U.S. with Nelly's single, "Hot in Herre
Hot in Herre
"Hot in Herre" is a popular song and single performed by the hip-hop artist Nelly, and was released in 2002 as the first single on his album Nellyville. The song's producers were The Neptunes...
". In August of the same year, The Neptunes were named "Producers of the Year" at both The Source Awards
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
and the Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
s. Clipse released their commercial debut album Lord Willin'
Lord Willin'
Lord Willin' is the debut album from Virginia hip-hop duo Clipse. Released in late 2002, the album was certified gold by the RIAA on October 1, 2002...
in August 2002. The album started at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart and number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, fueled by its first two singles, "Grindin'
Grindin'
"Grindin" is the second single from the Virginia Beach rap duo Clipse. The song was produced by The Neptunes and featured on the Clipse's debut album, Lord Willin...
" and "When the Last Time
When the Last Time
"When the Last Time" is the second official single from the Clipse's album Lord Willin. It reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's highest-charting single. The video features a freestyle from comedian Shawty.-Charts:...
", which peaked at number 34 and number 19 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Neptunes released a self-credited album called The Neptunes Present... Clones
The Neptunes Present... Clones
Clones is an album of songs from various artists, produced by the production duo of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, known as The Neptunes. It was released on August 19, 2003, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart...
in 2003, with songs and remixes from various artists. This topped the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The Neptunes and Williams specifically were also kept in public eye largely due to ties with Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, producing several hit singles for him and two tracks on his The Black Album
The Black Album (Jay-Z album)
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come in 2006.The album debuted at number one...
. The track "Frontin'" was a big hit (the 34th biggest of 2003 according to Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
). A survey in August 2003 found the Neptunes produced almost 20 percent of songs played on British radio at the time, a survey in the US had them at 43 percent. The same year, The Neptunes remixed the Daft Punk
Daft Punk
Daft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...
song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" is a song by French duo Daft Punk. The single was first released on 13 October 2001. A live version of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" was released as a single from the album Alive 2007 on 15 October 2007. This version won a Grammy Award for Best Dance...
for the duo's poorly-received remix album Daft Club
Daft Club
Daft Club is an album by Daft Punk featuring numerous remixes of tracks from their 2001 album Discovery and one from Homework. It was released in 2003 .-History:...
. The track also had a brief rap section performed by Williams.
N.E.R.D's second funk rock
Funk rock
Funk rock is a music genre that fuses funk and rock elements. Its earliest incarnation was heard in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by acts such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Eric Burdon and War, Trapeze, Parliament-Funkadelic, Betty Davis and Mother's Finest. The 1990s were known for acts...
-oriented album, Fly or Die
Fly or Die
Fly or Die is the second album for rock band N*E*R*D consisting of Pharrell and Chad Hugo of production team the Neptunes and Shay Haley released on March 23, 2004.-Production:...
, released in March 2004. Williams' rock credentials were further bolstered by his appearance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, performing The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "I Saw Her Standing There" on drums with Sting, Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
, and Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
. Williams received two Grammy Awards that night, one for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
, and another for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's hit album Justified
Justified (album)
Justified is the debut album by American pop singer Justin Timberlake. Released during the hiatus of the group *NSYNC, the album signaled Timberlake's desire to craft a more mature image than that of a "boy band member". The album features guest performances by Timbaland, Clipse, Bubba Sparxxx, and...
. They also gained their first UK number one, again with Nelly, and Flap Your Wings.
2005–present: First album and collaborations
In My Mind (Pharrell album)
-Notes:* A song titled "Mamacita", which featured Reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee was leaked in early 2006 and was supposed to be the third single from the album, but it did not appear on the final track listing, nor was there a video for the song, but it is featured in the movie The Fast and the...
, "Can I Have It Like That
Can I Have It like That
"Can I Have It Like That" is a song performed by rapper Pharrell Williams featuring Gwen Stefani. It was written and produced by Williams for his 2006 debut album In My Mind, and the song is the opening track. The song's hook comes from a one-line contribution from Stefani, used as part of a...
", featuring Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
. The single did poorly in the US, reaching only number 48. It fared better in the UK, reaching number three. Between then and the July 25, 2006 release of "In My Mind", he released "Angel
Angel (Pharrell song)
"Angel" is the second European single from Pharrell's debut album, In My Mind . It debuted on November 29, 2005 in the UK and was backed heavily by BBC Radio 1 where at one point it was their most played record...
" (in Europe only), and later "Number One
Number One (Pharrell song)
"Number One" is the third single by rapper, producer, and singer Pharrell. The heavily synthesized song, produced by Pharrell, is from his debut album In My Mind and features rapper Kanye West. The single was released in the UK on August 21, 2006 according to his official UK mailing list...
" with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. Several songs leaked to the internet before the album release, most notably "Mamacita" featuring Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican Reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball,...
, which was subsequently cut from the final version. "That Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
was the final single.
In 2006, Williams, with Chad Hugo, produced Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
's second album Hell Hath No Fury
Hell Hath No Fury
Hell Hath No Fury is the critically acclaimed second album of Virginia hip hop duo Clipse, released on December 7, 2006 in the U.S. and in November of 2006 in some parts of Europe. Like the group's debut album, Hell Hath No Fury is produced by The Neptunes. The guest appearances are limited to...
. Most critics labeled the album Williams's best production in years, and put the duo back in the charts.
On May 16, 2007, for seven days only, the first of two expected collaborations with Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, titled "Hey You", was made available for free download from the MSN
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
website. MSN, with Madonna, gave 25 cents for each of the first one million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection
Alliance for Climate Protection
The Alliance for Climate Protection was founded in 2006 by Nobel laureate and former United States Vice President Al Gore. The Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to educating the global community about the urgency of implementing comprehensive solutions to the climate crisis...
, in support of Live Earth. Later that year, Williams performed songs at the Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
on July 1, 2007. Then, on July 7, 2007, he performed at the Brazilian leg
Live Earth concert, Rio de Janeiro
The Live Earth concert for South America was held at Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2007. It is one of two free Live Earth concerts, the other being held in Washington, D.C. It was the last concert to start during the day-long event. However, that didn't make it the last to...
of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
A second album, titled Out of My Mind, was recorded with his newly formed band "The Yessirs" featuring Questlove of The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
. However, Williams' record label did not think that a companion album to the first would sell well. He also produced Beyoncé's version of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is a song introduced by Carol Channing in the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , which was written by Jule Styne and Leo Robin...
". He then wrote and produced "Why Should I Be Sad" on Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' fifth studio album, Blackout. He also produced two songs from The Hives
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
album, The Black and White Album
The Black and White Album
The Black and White Album is the fourth full-length album by Swedish rock band The Hives. The album was released on 15 October 2007, in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records and November 13, 2007, in the United States via A&M/Octone Records, No Fun Records, Universal Music Operations and...
, titled "Well All Right!" and "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.".
In April 2008, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
released her eleventh album, Hard Candy
Hard Candy (Madonna album)
Hard Candy is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on April 19, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records. It was her final studio album with the record company, marking the end of a 25 year recording history. Madonna started working on the album in 2007, and collaborated...
, with vocals from Williams and production from The Neptunes on several tracks. In June, an article in NME revealed that Williams was very interested in producing The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
' fourth album. Williams, with other musicians, is to work on a remix album for Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
's Call & Response.
Pharrell worked with Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
on the songs 'Did It Again
Did It Again (Shakira song)
"Did It Again" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her sixth studio album She Wolf . The song was also released with a Spanish version, released mainly to Latin America and Spain, named "Lo Hecho Está Hecho" , as was done with "She Wolf" with Spanish version "Loba".The song's...
', 'Why Wait', 'Good Stuff' and 'Long Time' for her sixth studio album, She Wolf. This was released in October 2009.
Williams will collaborate with Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
on her third studio album Spirit in the Dark. He will also provide guest vocals on the album's first single, "Playground".
In September 2009, it was announced that Williams co-wrote and produced a song titled "Fresh Out the Oven
Fresh Out the Oven
"Fresh Out the Oven" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez as Lola, featuring American rapper Pitbull. The song was written by Pharell Williams, Amanda Ghost, Lopez and Pitbull, with production handled by The Neptunes...
" for Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
. It was released as a buzz single from Lopez's upcoming seventh studio album Love?
Love? (album)
Love? is the seventh studio album by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez. The album was released on April 28, 2011. Produced during the pregnancy of her twins Emme and Max, Love? is Lopez's most personal album to date, taking inspiration from the birth of her twins and her own...
, which is due for release in the Summer of 2010.
In October 2009, it was announced that he would make a guest appearance on French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
indie/electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
rapper Uffie's
Uffie
Anna-Catherine Hartley , better known by her stage name Uffie , is a Paris-based underground electronic musician, rapper, fashion designer and socialite signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records. She has been described as a muse for French DJs, and is known for working with...
first album, due in early 2010.
He has also worked with rapper Snoop Dogg and singer Brandy on the song "Special" in Snoop Dogg's album Malice 'n' Wonderland.
Pharrell has been featured on an unofficial remix/mash-up of "Arab Money
Arab Money
"Arab Money" is the first official single from Busta Rhymes' eighth studio album Back on My B.S. The song features and is produced by Ron Browz. It discusses the influx of wealth in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai...
" featuring Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
.
Pharrell and Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
collaborated on an untitled song for Kid Cudi's second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr.Rager. Cudi described the song as a "club hit".
In late 2009, Williams also started working with the rapper Game for his fourth studio album, The R.E.D. Album
The R.E.D. Album
The R.E.D. Album is the fourth studio album by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist Game, which was released on August 23, 2011 through DGC Records and Interscope Records after almost two years of delays since late 2009 and being rescheduled a total of 10 times...
. He returned to work with US singer Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, whom he hadn't worked with for nearly eight years after he was a producer on Timberlake's first solo album Justified.
In July 2010, Williams composed one of the soundtracks in the movie Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
at the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
.
Williams collaborated with Swedish house music group the Swedish House Mafia
Swedish House Mafia
Swedish House Mafia is a Swedish House Music group consisting of the three disc jockeys and producers; Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008....
on the song "One" from their first album Until One
Until One
NOTE: * on track 4, Swedish House Mafia are credited as Axwell, Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso-Chart performance:-Release history:...
. The released song featuring Pharrell's vocals was renamed "One (Your Name)."
Williams and his group N.E.R.D supported Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
on their Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour
Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour
The Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour is a concert tour by the British virtual band Gorillaz. The tour is in support of their third studio album Plastic Beach. It is notably the band's first world tour in its decade-spanning history...
. On the tour, Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
used his iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
to record and compose the Gorillaz album The Fall
The Fall (Gorillaz album)
-Additional personnel:* Guitar on track 3 by Mick Jones* Additional keyboards on track 6 by Jesse Hackett* Bass on track 12 by Paul Simonon* Qanun on track 12 by James R Grippo* Vocals, guitar and additional songwriting on track 13 by Bobby Womack...
. Pharrell recorded a track with Albarn, but this did not appear on The Fall; it may appear on a future album.
He will be featured on Gucci Mane's second album The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted
The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted
The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted is the third studio album by American rapper Gucci Mane. The album was released September 28, 2010 on 1017 Brick Squad Records, Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records. The album is the follow-up of 2009's The State vs. Radric Davis, released just after the Atlanta...
on a track titled "Haterade" with "Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
".
He will also be featured on Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
' upcoming album Haute Living.
On August 1, 2011, Williams announced his new label, i am Other.
Musical style
Williams often sings in a falsettoFalsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
, particularly during the hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
of a song. Critics often say that Williams cannot rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
or sing well, but that his singing is better than his rapping. Alasdair Lees of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
thought Williams "strives for the Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
effect", but sounds like Bobby Valentino "on work experience". Anthony Henriques of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
noted that Williams is not a "technically gifted rapper", "does not have a beautiful voice" and his lyrics are "typically inconsequential in a "saying shit just to sound cool' sort of way", but found strengths in his choruses, which "typically use a catchy phrase or recognizable melody as an anchor for his nonsensical verses".
Pharrell also did music for the Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
film Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
. The film makers liked his genre of music for the movie. Williams has encompassed a broad range of genres, including hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
. His lyrics often pertain to his childhood, family, religious faith and sexuality. In the review of Seeing Sounds
Seeing Sounds
Seeing Sounds is the third studio album by American funk rock band N.E.R.D released June 10, 2008 on Star Trak Entertainment and Interscope Records in the United States. After ending their contract with Virgin Records in 2005, the band felt their previous album Fly or Die was too consistent. Using...
by N.E.R.D, Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said he learned nothing from his lyrics except that Williams was sexually aroused
Sexual arousal
Sexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desire, during or in anticipation of sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are called erotic stimuli, or colloquially known as turn-ons. There are many potential stimuli, both physical or mental, which can cause...
.
Williams has stated that he does not have any direct influences, but has expressed his admiration of several musicians, including Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
and Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
. Williams described A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
's 1990 album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
, as a "turning point" in his life, which "made me see that music was art".
His style of production includes very unusual sounds, which give a feeling of being extra terrestrial. His beats have heavy percussions and synths.
Ventures
Williams met NigoNigo
is a Japanese music producer, DJ and the creator of the urban clothing line A Bathing Ape, otherwise known as Bape.-Fashion background:Nigo's venture into fashion started in a small store selling a few Bape t-shirts and camouflage print hoodies, which became very popular among the teen demographic...
, a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
record producer and creator of the clothing line A Bathing Ape
A Bathing Ape
A Bathing Ape is a Japanese clothing company founded by Nigo in 1993. The company specializes in men's, women's and kids' lifestyle and street wear, running 19 stores in Japan, including Bape Stores, Bape Pirate Stores, Bape Kids Stores, Bapexclusive Aoyama, and Bapexclusive Kyoto...
, in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and bonded through similar interests, where they began working together on their fashion line
Fashion line
A fashion line is a clothing subsidiary that designs and sells garments according to a specific ethos, often only slightly different than the company's flagship brand. A single designer or creative director will often be in charge of many lines, each presenting a different take on the company or...
s. Williams later co-founded the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club
Billionaire Boys Club (clothing)
Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are two lines of luxury clothing established by Pharrell of The Neptunes and Nigo, founder of BAPE. The lines consist of T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, knits, denim, suits and shirts; outerwear in leather, down, cotton, and technical fabrics; hats, sneakers,...
and Ice Cream Footwear. He has a store in New York City. In 2008, he co-designed a series of jewelry ("Blason") and glasses for Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
. He has also worked on furniture with Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin and a French manufacturer, Domeau & Pérès. One of his works, a molded plastic seat with human legs, was created because he "wanted to know what it was like to be in love." The chair depicts a sexual scene with a pair of female legs and male legs.
Williams recorded four songs for the computer animated film Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
. Some of the songs are used in the trailers, and are also in the movie.
In 2011 Williams designed and released a cream liqueur named QREAM. The "Q" stands for "Queen" and the liqueur comes in two different flavors, strawberry and peach. Williams was approached by Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
to collaborate; Williams found that the female audience were being neglected, and therefore made a cream liqueur for women. He mentioned the taste being an ambient of an ice cream, but the liqueur contains less calories than wine.
Personal life
In 2005 Williams was voted "Best Dressed Man in the World" by EsquireEsquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
. He is a fan of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, as indicated by his consistent use of the Vulcan salute
Vulcan salute
The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger, and the thumb extended. Often, the famous line, "Live long and prosper", is said after it. The salute was devised and popularised by Leonard Nimoy, who...
to signify his label name, Star Trak. He also enjoys the works of the late astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and science lecturer Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, whom he calls "a genius". Williams is a skateboarder and has a half-pipe
Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...
inside his home. In April 2009, Williams underwent a skin procedure for tattoo removal
Tattoo removal
Tattoo removal has been performed with various tools during the history of tattooing. While tattoos were once considered permanent, it is now possible to remove them with treatments, fully or partially...
. It was to have most of his tattoos removed.
Studio Albums
| Album information |
|---|
In My Mind
|
Awards and nominations
| Grammy Awards | ||||
| Year | Category | Genre | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Producer of the Year Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year... (with Chad Hugo Chad Hugo Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist... ) |
N/A | — | |
| Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop music albums... |
Pop | Justified | ||
| Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration The Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate... |
Rap | "Frontin'" (with Jay-Z Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010... ) |
||
| Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Rap | "Beautiful" (with Snoop Dogg Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school... ) featuring Terrence Campbell |
||
| Best Rap Song Grammy Award for Best Rap Song The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year... |
Rap | "Beautiful" (with Snoop Dogg) | ||
| Best Rap Song | Rap | "Excuse Me Miss" (with Jay-Z) | ||
| 2005 | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance.... |
Rap | "Drop It Like It's Hot" (with Snoop Dogg) | |
| Best Rap Song | Rap | "Drop It Like It's Hot" (with Snoop Dogg) | ||
| 2007 | Best Rap Song | Rap | "Money Maker" (with Ludacris Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings... ) |
|
| Best Rap Album Grammy Award for Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards... |
Rap | In My Mind | ||