The Neptunes are an American songwriting and 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.
Victor James Santiago, Jr., better known by his stage names N.O.R.E. and Noreaga, is an American rapper and broadcaster. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga (C-N-N), which he formed in 1995 with fellow Queens-based rapper Capone. The duo released five studio albums, briefly disbanding after their second to pursue solo careers.
"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 (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.
"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.
"Hit the Freeway" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton, released as the lead single from her fifth studio album, More Than a Woman (2002). The song, which features American rapper Loon, was written by Pharrell Williams and Loon himself, while production was handled by Pharrell's production duo The Neptunes. It is a hip hop and R&B song, with lyrics about an ex trying to rekindle with Braxton, but Braxton claims she's not interested in him anymore.
"Let's Get Blown" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on December 13, 2004, as the second single released from the former's seventh studio album R&G : The Masterpiece (2004). It was produced by The Neptunes and features additional vocals from American singer Keyshia Cole.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter 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.
"Change Clothes" is the first official single from rapper Jay-Z's studio album The Black Album. It featured additional vocals by Pharrell Williams (uncredited) and was produced by The Neptunes. The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December, 2003.
"Girlfriend" is a pop and hip hop song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released on January 14, 2002, as the third single from their fourth studio album Celebrity. It was the group's last song to enter the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five. "Girlfriend" additionally reached number one in Canada and charted within the top 10 in six other countries, including Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This was the last single and song the band released in their career before their reunion in 2023.
The following is a discography of production by the Neptunes, a production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.
"Money Maker" is a song written and performed by American rapper Ludacris featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. The song was released to the radio on July 17, 2006 as the first single from Ludacris's fifth album Release Therapy. Produced by Williams and Chad Hugo, the song is a reimagining of the 1961 Elmore James blues song "Shake Your Moneymaker". The single became Ludacris' third number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100, while also topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks charts.
"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.
God's Favorite is the third studio album by American rapper N.O.R.E.. After six months of label delays, the album was released on June 25, 2002, by Thugged Out Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings.
"Beautiful" is a hip hop song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring vocals from American singers 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.
"Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes featuring fellow American rappers P. Diddy and Pharrell Williams. It was released as the fourth and last single from his fifth studio album Genesis on February 12, 2002, by Flipmode Entertainment and J Records. The song is a continuation to an album track off of Genesis, also featuring P. Diddy.
"I'm Good" is a song written and performed by American rap duo Clipse featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams from the duo's third studio album Til the Casket Drops (2009). Produced by The Neptunes, the cover artwork is made by KAWS who also made the cover artwork for Clipse's previous single Kinda Like a Big Deal. It was released on iTunes on June 30, 2009. The single sold nearly 7,700 copies in first week.
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 6 is the sixth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 10, 2002, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 6 features eighteen hip hop and rap hits. It went to number 31 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and number 35 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
"Superthug" is a song by New York City rapper N.O.R.E. with background vocals from Tammy Lucas during the song's hook. It was released as the second single from his debut solo album, N.O.R.E.. At the time, it became Noreaga's highest charting and most successful single, peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. However it was later surpassed by his 2002 single "Nothin'" which peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Diddy" is the eponymous song by American rapper P. Diddy, featuring a guest appearance from American singer Pharrell Williams, who performs the hook. The song was released in 2001 by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records as the third single from Diddy's third studio album, The Saga Continues.... The song was produced by the Neptunes, and written by its performers along with rapper Loon.
