N.E.R.D. is an American hip hop and rock band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1999. The Neptunes were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin. After producing songs for several artists throughout the late 1990s, the duo formed the band with Shay Haley as a side project of The Neptunes in 1999. N.E.R.D.'s debut album, In Search Of..., sold 603,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also awarded the second annual Shortlist Music Prize. The band's second album, Fly or Die, sold 412,000 copies in the United States, but shipped at least 500,000 units, certifying it Gold.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, sometimes known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, he first gained mainstream recognition as one half of the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes, which he formed in 1992 with fellow musician Chad Hugo. Collectively, they have produced 15 singles which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100—including four songs that peaked atop the chart—as Williams gained initial recognition as a frequent backing vocalist for the duo's productions. He also formed the alternative band N.E.R.D. with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley in 1999, for which he serves as lead vocalist. Williams has been widely considered as one of the most influential music producers of the 21st century, and is credited with impact on various genres of modern popular music.
"Hollaback Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). It is a hip-hop song that draws influence from 1980s hip-hop and dance music. The song was written by Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo, with the latter two handling production as the Neptunes. The song was released as the album's third single on March 22, 2005, and was one of the year's most popular songs, peaking inside the top 10 of the majority of the charts it entered. It reached number one in Australia and the United States, where it became the first digital download to sell one million copies.
"Boys" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her self-titled third studio album (2001). It was written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams. A version of the song titled "The Co-Ed Remix" and featuring guest vocals from Williams was released as the fifth single from Britney on June 24, 2002. The new version also served as the second single from the soundtrack of Austin Powers in Goldmember. "Boys" is a R&B and hip hop song, including funk influences. The remix carries a slower tempo than the album version, and both versions were noted by critics to be reminiscent of music by American artist Janet Jackson. Some critics praised Spears and Williams' chemistry, as well as the production on the track, while others did not think the song worked well.
"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, R&G : The Masterpiece (2005). 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.
"U Don't Have to Call" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Pharrell Williams and produced by Williams and Chad Hugo under their production moniker The Neptunes for Usher's third studio album, 8701 (2001). The song was released as the third US single from the album and the fifth international single. In the US, it was first serviced to radio on January 18, 2002, and it was issued as a commercial single in Europe and Australia later that year.
"Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" is a song by American singer Chris Brown. It served as the second single from Brown's self-titled debut album (2005) and was released in November 2005 in the US, and February 2006 worldwide. "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)", produced by Dre & Vidal, became Brown's second top ten single in the United States, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American musician Pharrell Williams featuring fellow 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.
"She Wants to Move" is a single by American hip hop and rock group N*E*R*D from their second studio album, Fly or Die (2004). It was written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo and released on February 9, 2004, as the album's lead single. The song peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and achieved mainstream success outside the United States, peaking within the top ten on the charts of Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. It received substantial airplay on MTV.
"Lapdance" is a song by American rock/hip hop band N.E.R.D. from their debut studio album, In Search Of.... The song features rappers Vita and Lee Harvey, and was produced by the Neptunes. The song compares politicians to strippers giving a lap dance for free, due to the use of their excessive propaganda without ever taking action.
"Beautiful" is a hip hop song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring vocals from fellow American musicians Pharrell Williams and Uncle Charlie Wilson. It was released on January 27, 2003, as the second single from the former's sixth studio album. The song was written by Snoop Dogg alongside producers The Neptunes. The music video was filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The discography of Pharrell Williams, an American recording artist and record producer, consists of two studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), one mixtape, 22 singles.
"Maybe" is a single from American band N*E*R*D's second studio album, Fly or Die (2004). The song features Lenny Kravitz on guitar and Questlove on drums. It peaked at number 25 in the United Kingdom, number 31 in Ireland, and number 34 in the Netherlands. The song was featured in an iPod commercial that also promoted the song.
"Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)" is a song by American band N.E.R.D. It is the lead single from their third studio album Seeing Sounds and was released on May 13, 2008. Lyrically, the song delves into the issue of women socially snorting cocaine in bathrooms. The song was accompanied by music video, which was directed by Diane Martel. A video for the remix of the song featuring Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pusha T of Clipse was also filmed and directed by Hype Williams.
"Rock Star" is a song by American funk rock band N*E*R*D. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album In Search of... (2001). The song, the second single off the album, performed better in the United Kingdom than their previous single "Lapdance", peaking at number 15. It also became the group's first single to chart in Australia.
"Hot-n-Fun" is a song by group N.E.R.D. featuring vocals of Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released as the first single from their fourth studio album Nothing.
"Gust of Wind" is a song written, produced, and performed by American musician Pharrell Williams. Written alongside Daft Punk, it was released on October 24, 2014 by Columbia Records as the fourth single from Williams's second studio album Girl (2014).
"Marilyn Monroe" is a song written, produced, and performed by American musician Pharrell Williams. It features additional spoken vocals from British TV personality Kelly Osbourne. The song was released on March 10, 2014 as the second single from Williams' second studio album Girl (2014). The song's intro was written by American violinist Ann Marie Calhoun, and it takes its name from the deceased Hollywood actress of the same name.
Cherry Bomb is the third studio album by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator. It was released on April 13, 2015, by Odd Future Records. On April 9, 2015, the album was informally announced on iTunes, along with the release of two tracks. Production was handled entirely by Tyler himself, with additional contributions by Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger. The album features guest appearances from Schoolboy Q, Charlie Wilson, Kali Uchis, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Pharrell Williams and Austin Feinstein, among others. The album was supported by two singles: "Deathcamp" and "Fucking Young / Perfect", accompanied by 2 music videos.
"Lemon" is a song by American band N.E.R.D. from their fifth studio album, No One Ever Really Dies (2017). The song features vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna, and was released as the album's lead single on November 1, 2017.
