The Neptunes are an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo,formed in Virginia Beach,Virginia,in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos,while Hugo tends to stay behind the scenes.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams,often known mononymously as Pharrell,is an American singer,rapper,songwriter,record producer,and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes,which he formed in 1992 with Chad Hugo. They produced 15 singles which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100,including four songs that peaked atop the chart. He also formed the alternative band N.E.R.D. with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley in 1999,for which Williams serves as lead vocalist. He has been considered one of the most influential music producers of the 21st century for his impact on popular music.
Charles Edward Hugo is an American record producer. Alongside close colleague Pharrell Williams,he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in 1992,with whom he has produced numerous hit records for various artists. He is also a member of the band N.E.R.D.,alongside Williams and Shay Haley,and co-founded the record label Star Trak Entertainment with Williams in 2001. In contrast to Williams,Hugo does not perform on records.
Clipse,also known as the Clipse,is an American hip hop duo,mainly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years,while No Malice was originally known as Malicious,but changed his stage name to Malice soon after the group's formation,before changing it to No Malice once more in 2012 following his conversion to Christianity. Based in Virginia Beach,Virginia,the duo was discovered by producer and fellow Virginia Beach native,Pharrell Williams,who convinced the artists to work in tandem. Williams served as executive and lead producer for each of their albums,as part of the Neptunes and as a frequent guest performer. As key figures in establishing Virginia as one of the East Coast's strongholds in hip hop,the duo's frequent subject matter is based around illegal drug trade.
"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27,2004,as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album,R&G:The Masterpiece (2004). The song was produced by the Neptunes. It is regarded as an iconic song,with Snoop performing the chorus and the second and third verses while Pharrell performs the first verse.
The Neptunes Present... Clones is a compilation album produced and released by American production and songwriting duo The Neptunes. It was released on August 19,2003 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. The album featured six singles;"Frontin'" by Pharrell Williams,"Popular Thug" by Kelis,"Light Your Ass on Fire" by Busta Rhymes,“Rock ‘n’Roll”by Fam-Lay,"Hot Damn" by Clipse and "It Blows My Mind" by Snoop Dogg.
"Like I Love You" is the debut solo single of American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his debut studio album,Justified (2002),which features American hip hop duo Clipse. It was co-written by Timberlake and the Neptunes,who also produced it. The song was released on September 16,2002,as Timberlake's debut solo single,following the announced hiatus of NSYNC earlier that year. According to Williams,the song's drums were an ode to the funk era.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo,who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release,Williams insisted the single was a one-off,and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However,he released his own solo studio album,In My Mind,in 2006.
Hell Hath No Fury is the third studio album by hip hop duo Clipse. The album was released on November 28,2006 in the United States by Re-Up,Star Trak and Jive. Recording sessions for the album took place over a period of several years,and suffered numerous delays prior to release. Production was handled by The Neptunes.
The following is a discography of production by the Neptunes,a production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.
"Mr. Me Too" is a song by American hip hop duo Clipse,released on May 23,2006 as the lead single from their second studio album Hell Hath No Fury (2006). The song features guest vocals and production by Pharrell Williams. It is considered to be a diss track aimed at fellow American rapper Lil Wayne,after he graced the cover of Vibe magazine with A Bathing Ape hoodie,a brand which was at that time popularized by Clipse. Lyrically,the song is a braggadocio rap record,where the rappers boast about their fashion and style,while denouncing imitators.
"Grindin'" is the debut single from Virginia Beach rap duo Clipse. The song was produced by the Neptunes,and was issued as the lead single for Clipse's debut studio album,Lord Willin' (2002) on May 14,2002. The song became a summer top 40 hit,peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated August 10,2002.
Til the Casket Drops is the fourth studio album by the American hip hop duo Clipse,released in the United States on December 8,2009,by Re-Up,Star Trak and Columbia. It debuted on number 46 on the Billboard 200,selling 31,000 copies in its very first week of availability. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. It is their final project as Clipse,prior to their split and solo ventures.
"Hero" is a song by American rapper Nas,released June 2008 as the lead single from his untitled album. The song,which features vocals from American R&B singer Keri Hilson,was produced by Polow da Don.
"Universal Mind Control" is the first single released by Common from his 2008 album of the same name. The single features vocals from Pharrell Williams,who co-produced the song with Chad Hugo under their production team The Neptunes. The music video premiered on Common's official YouTube channel on October 6,2008. In a 2008 Microsoft Zune commercial,Common tells Afrika Bambaataa that,when writing this song,he was influenced by Bambaataa's song "Planet Rock",which the song samples. It is Common's second highest-charting single in the U.S. as it peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Common uses an interpolation from Gil Scott-Heron's song "No Knock" at the end of his first verse.
"Turnin Me On" is a song by American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson,from her debut album,In a Perfect World... The song features American rapper Lil Wayne who co-wrote the song alongside Hilson and Zachary Anson Wallace. Production credits are shared between Danja and Polow da Don,who also co-wrote the song. Following the minimal chart success of Hilson's worldwide lead single "Energy" in the United States,international markets received "Return the Favor",while "Turnin Me On" was released as the third single in the US.
"Kinda Like a Big Deal" is the street single from rap duo Clipse's third studio album Til the Casket Drops. It features Kanye West.
"Knock Yourself Out" is a song by American rapper Jadakiss,and the second single from his debut studio album Kiss tha Game Goodbye (2001). The song was produced by The Neptunes.
"Supplies" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his fifth studio album,Man of the Woods (2018). It was written and produced by Timberlake with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes,and released on January 18,2018. Its music video was directed by Dave Meyers. The song was serviced to rhythmic radio on January 23,2018,as the album's second single.
"Trenches" is a song by American singer Monica featuring rapper Lil Baby. It was written by both musicians along with Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams from The Neptunes for Monica's upcoming same-titled ninth studio album,while production was helmed by the latter two. The song was released as the album's first single on August 31,2020,coinciding with Monica and Brandy's appearances on the webcast battle series Verzuz. "Trenches" peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard Digital Song Sales and entered the top 20 on both the Adult R&B Songs and the Hot R&B Songs.
